Dragon Kings
by Moriyasha Neko-hime
Summary: When the four dragon kingdoms are attacked by the Leviathan Empire, it's up to eight warriors to return the world to order including the Kaiba brothers, a young hunter named Shizuka, the magician Pegasus and a shaman from the desert kingdom named Malik.
1. Disturbed Waters

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Yu-Gi-Oh!_, I don't own Shadi, the dragons—well, I own _some_ of the dragons, but that's not a big deal, right?—Yugi, Atem, Cecilia, Noa, Seto, Moki, and most of the other people that show up in this story. Not even Ryuzaki-kun. (For any of you dub-only people, that's "Rex Raptor." What the heck kind of name is that anyway?)

**Author's Note: ** Anywho, I came up with this idea a while ago while trying to worked out some Alternate Universe to play in, and this is what snapped into place. The prologue is really short, but I promise it's important. Read carefully or nothing in the future will make any sense.

- - -

**Prologue:**

**Disturbed Waters…**

The cavern was flooded ankle-deep in water as the jagged rock formations protruded from the floor and ceiling. In the very center of the cavern, moonlight shone through four holes in the ceiling and reflected in the four separate pools on the ground, kept separate from the rest of the water of the cavern by rings made from the rock. All four pools were of equal size and depth and the waters were so still they were like mirrors as they reflected the midnight sky.

However, just barely visible in the darkness of the cavern, there was a fifth pool in the very center of the other four. It was larger than the other four and appeared much darker, as there was no hole in the cavern to allow moonlight to shimmer from the surface.

A figure stood just outside one of the shafts of light, gazing at the five pools with blue eyes as deep as the waters he now observed. "It grows larger," he said, his breathy voice echoing through the cavern. "Should it grow much more the Four Kingdoms will be consumed by it. The beast reaches out to grasp the sun and blacken it. The threat has returned, my Lords."

The man tilted his head back to let his deep eyes wander across the cavern ceiling where four dragons statues hung carved from the rock, each gazing down into their own pool.

"I know what it is I must do…but they are still so young." Looking back down, the man looked at the moonlight reflected in the water, however, it did not reflect in his eyes as it did in the pools. "This task has long since been forgotten by the Four Kingdoms. The Chosen Ones even now do not know who they truly are. Will they be able to bear the burdens that await them, or will they fall beneath the weight?"

There was no answer to be found in the vastness of the cavern.

Alas, there was only silence.

- - -

**Author's Note:** Short, short, short…sorry. The next chapter's longer, I promise! And more interesting! And pretty much everything else that this prologue wasn't! Sorry if I bored you with my freaky weirdness. Please come back for the next chapter!


	2. Kingdom of the Black Dragon

**Disclaimer:** I'm not writing this for each chapter. We all know I don't own anything in this story except the story, right?

**Name Comparison:** Just so anyone who doesn't know the sub knows who the characters are, I'm making a little chart here.

Katsuya Jounouchi _Joey Wheeler_

Shizuka Kawai _Serenity Wheeler_

Ryuzaki _Rex Raptor_

Honda _Tristan_

Queen Hikari _Yugi's mom. I actually don't know her name, so I made one up._

**Author's Note:** Thanks to anyone who came back after the confusion of the prologue—I hope you're all enjoying yourselves—and to anyone who hasn't read this before. (Bows respectfully to approaching readers) Very much thank you! I promised this chapter would be better, and I hope you all agree. Well, enough with my rambling. On with the fic!

- - -

**Chapter One:**

**Kingdom of the Black Dragon…**

The beast tore through the forest, bringing down trees and leveling plants, sunlight running over it quickly as it flew across the ground at an incredible speed. It was not until it broke through the trees in sight of a great lake that one would be able to see it properly.

It was not an exceptionally attractive creature. Its body was that of a giant red serpent with black diamonds running down its back. Its arms were similar to vulture feet, and its head belonged to a man with stringy black hair, black eyes with yellow pupils, a pointed nose and sharp teeth so long the beast couldn't even close its mouth properly.

The monster scanned its surroundings for any danger before slowly approaching the water's edge and leaning its head down to lap up the water with its long, blue tongue. A sound made the creature's head snap back up and click its teeth as it looked from side to side.

Four men dropped from the trees behind the beast and threw lassos around its neck making it shriek and thrash about in an attempt to pull the ropes from its attackers' hands. More warriors jumped from their hiding places with spears and swords to attack the monster. However, it swung its tail as it was impaled and threw some of the men into the water; it attempted to bite the four men that had roped it, but they were barely able to dodge its strike.

Farther down the shore, a young woman nocked an arrow and let it fly into the monster's arm. It shrieked again and turned its attention to the young woman as she drew another arrow from the quiver on her back and nocked her bow again.

The beast, hardly about to wait to be hit again, charged at the young woman, dragging the four men along with it. The archer fired her prepared shot, but the beast dodged, letting the arrow cut right past it. Just as the young woman drew another arrow, the creature reared and came back down on her. Afterwards, it ceased to move.

"Shizuka!" One of the ropers screamed as he jumped up and climbed over the beast, brushing his unruly blond hair out of his dark brown eyes, only to have it fall back. "Shizuka! Are you okay!"

A groan revealed to him and the others that the girl was still alive and they all grabbed hold of the ropes and pulled to move the beast off of their comrade. They discovered that the archer, Shizuka had stabbed her arrow into the creature's throat, effectively slaying it and spilling its black blood all down her arm and the front of her clothes. But she was, nonetheless, alive.

"Shizuka, are you alright?" The blond slayer asked as he rushed to the girl's side and pulled her out from underneath the monster.

The young woman breathed shakily as she ran her right wrist over her fiery red hair and closed her brown eyes to attempt to calm herself down. She had been assisting the men at slaying for at least four years, but she had never come so close to being killed as she had just now. "Y-Yeah…" she sighed after a while. "I'm-I'm okay, nii-chan. Don't worry. Sorry I didn't shoot. It caught me off guard."

"You sure?" He held his younger sister's head so that she met his eyes. "You're really okay?"

"Katsuya, I'm fine," Shizuka smiled, leaning her forehead against her brother's. "Really, I'm okay."

Katsuya nodded, finally accepting the girl's answer and looked back at the monster they had slain. "This one was a lot bigger than the usual ones…"

"No kidding!" Groaned another of the slayers as he stretched and popped his back. He was tall and had brown-grey hair all gathered forward like an arrowhead and eyes of the same color. "Bastard sure didn't make it easy!" Honda groaned.

Another of the ropers dusted off his green jacket and white turtleneck and brushed his dark brown hair out of his eyes, his fingers sliding through the locks of purple in his bangs to make sure it was straight and his black eyes scanned over the slain beast warily. "It's strange," Ryuzaki muttered. "For a monster like this to be so close the city—in broad daylight? It's not natural."

Katsuya rose to his feet, dusted off his hands and offered to help his sister up, but she held out her own blood-soaked hands with a smile and got up on her own. "I've never seen a monster like that around here before," he said. "We should report this."

"But what about the body?" Asked another slayer.

Katsuya looked back at the slain beast, making as quiet gagging sound at the sight of its tongue hanging out its mouth and saliva trailing out its mouth. "Guess we should take the talons…" The others nodded and the blond youth and his sister headed back for the castle.

The Black Dragon kingdom was not really what one would expect from its name; it was not even a very large kingdom. It was a valley surrounded by mountains and forest and windmills popped up in random places, anyone but traders and the occasional traveler seldom used dirt roads leading out of the kingdom. The people lived in comfortable houses beside the castle that overlooked the rest of the valley; the castle itself was black and surprisingly large with two towers that gazed out towards the North and South.

It was there that Shizuka, her brother and the other slayers lived to protect and serve their Queen and Prince along with the elders and advisors of the royal family.

After changing into cleaner attire, Shizuka and Katsuya reported to the throne room where Prince Yugi and his mother Queen Hikari waited. The prince was somewhat small for his age, but his heart could hold the entire kingdom and still have room for more. His hair was black with red ends, a few gold locks of hair were his bangs that he kept tucked behind his ears and his eyes were a rich violet.

His mother was not nearly so colorful with her braid of dark brown hair and purple eyes, but she was a kind person willing to go to any lengths for her people and her son.

"A monster at the lake?" Yugi inquired. "How long ago?"

"Just this afternoon," Katsuya replied.

This bit of news seemed to worry the young prince and he rubbed his thumb along his lip as he contemplated in silence. "There were no other beasts, correct?"

"None that we could find," answered Shizuka. "There was only the one."

Yugi nodded and again fell silent. "Send word throughout the valley that no one is to approach that lake," he said after a long while. "If there are others, they may follow the trail the first one made and I don't want anyone getting hurt."

"Yes, Your Highness." Katsuya and Shizuka bowed and turned to leave when Yugi asked that Katsuya stay. "I'll see you later at the banquet," the older boy smiled and pat his sister's head.

Shizuka nodded and bowed to the prince and queen before closing the door behind her.

Katsuya fell to one knee again before the steps leading up to the thrones. "Highness?"

"Jounouchi-kun, you can stand up now," Yugi smiled tiredly. "It's just us now."

Katsuya cast a cautious glance at the Queen, but she just smiled also and nodded for the man to rise. "Thanks, Yugi," he sighed. "I'm still aching from that tumble earlier, so it's really nice that you let me stand. Doesn't hurt as much."

The prince smiled and then cast his violet gaze out the window to his right. "Jounouchi-kun. Shizuka is…seventeen now, correct?"

"Yup. She'll be eighteen by spring," the blond man smiled proudly.

Yugi brought his eyes back into the room, but did not look at his longtime friend.

At the look in his prince's eyes the slayer's smile fell. "Yugi?"

The prince sighed and folded his hands beneath his chin. "Jounouchi-kun, my father took you and your sister in after your parents…left you both in the mountains, and we have grown up together, almost as brothers." Yugi looked off to the side again. "And since my father passed away, one would come to me for permission for Shizuka's hand in marriage."

Katsuya was fairly certain what was coming next. Shizuka was a strong young woman, one of the best among the slayers and hunters of the castle, and as such, she had been exposed to a number of men at arms. He was sure that she had caught the attention of plenty warriors of the castle and kingdom, but for one to actually propose marriage. "Who is it?"

Yugi sighed and leaned back in his thrown as he rubbed his temples. "It?" He gave a short chuckle. "If only it were _one_ man!"

The blond slayer smiled sympathetically at his prince. "Anyone I know?"

At this, the young ruler gave his friend a look that said, 'You serve as a slayer and captain of the guard, of course you'd know them!' Out loud, Yugi said, "Honda-kun was among them."

Katsuya flinched, but other than that, his expression did not change. "He was, was he?"

Yugi nodded. "I don't feel that I alone should make this decision," he went on. "I am aware that Shizuka treats all of the slayers and guards the same, I haven't heard of her favoring anyone above the rest."

"Me neither," Katsuya said shaking his head. "She seems to view them all as older brothers, even Honda." The two fell silent.

The Queen took this opportunity to speak her thoughts. "Perhaps you could discuss with Shizuka-chan what has been going on," she suggested. "The banquet tonight would be a fine opportunity for her to perhaps choose one of the men that have come to call?"

"That is a good idea," Yugi said.

"But…" Katsuya cast his brown eyes down. "I don't want to force her into anything."

Yugi stood up and stepped down to his friend's level. "Jounouchi, I understand how you feel. But even if that is the case, we can't answer for her. Shizuka must accept or refuse these proposals."

Katsuya nodded, knowing full well that his friend and prince was right. "I'll go talk to her about it."

As he started to turn away, Yugi put his hand on the man's shoulder and Katsuya looked back to find the prince smiling. "Jounouchi-kun, try not to hurt anyone until tomorrow? It would be unnerving for men who look like wrestled meat to attend the banquet tonight."

Katsuya raised an eyebrow. "About how many guys asked to marry Shizuka exactly?"

- - -

Steam rose in thick clouds as Shizuka swam through the large bath, her only company being the statues of mermaids and dolphins. But despite how lovely her surroundings were the young woman's thoughts strayed back to the slaying that had happened earlier that day.

Monsters that big never wandered too close to the kingdom, ever. That type of monster usually wandered in the mountains away from any sort of human dwelling. What would cause it to suddenly start doing so?

She dove under the water and resurfaced to float on her back staring up at the ceiling. Inhaling the scent of lavender and steam, Shizuka let her eyes close.

"_Run, Shizuka!" The blond boy held his sister's hand tightly as they fled from the snake-like beasts._

_The little girl herself was in tears and found it difficult to keep running. "Onii-chan! I'm scared!"_

Shizuka's eyes snapped open and she dove back under the water again, as if hoping the water would wash away the unclear, yet terrifying memory. Resurfacing and swimming back to the edge of the bath to grab her towel, the young woman found a pair of feet in the place she had left her towel.

Looking up, Shizuka met a pair of gentle blue eyes and smiling face framed by short brown hair. "Anzu-san!"

"Hey, Shizuka," Anzu helped the younger girl out of the water and wrapped the towel about her shoulders. "I heard you and the guys had some excitement today."

The young woman smiled as she dried off and started to pull her clothes on. "Yeah, sort of," she replied. "I'm not sure if I'm supposed to talk about it though."

Anzu shrugged. "All I heard was that people are to stay away from the western lake until told otherwise," she said. "If there's anything else to know, I'm sure that His Highness will inform us. We are his advisors after all."

Indeed, Anzu was young, but she was a member of the Royal Council, a group of people that had served the royal family since its very beginning. The older woman had been a prodigy since an early age and had thus gained the privilege of becoming a member of the Council when she turned fifteen.

"Well, I suppose you're right," Shizuka replied, glad that the woman hadn't pushed the matter. She herself was still trying to wipe the memory of that moment the beast had come down on top of her, and explaining it would only make it more real.

Shizuka smiled at her reflection in the mirror as she straightened her dress; it went down to her knees over a pair of white pants, was a soft blue lined with a lavender hem, collar and sleeves.

"Blue is a nice color for you," Anzu said as she walked over and helped the younger girl tie her lavender sash around her waist. "You should wear it more often, even if it isn't a dress."

"It would be a little silly to wear something pretty when going on a hunt, Anzu-san," Shizuka replied. "And most of my clothes end up being torn or stained anyway, that's why I wear mostly black."

Anzu put her hands on the younger girl's shoulders and smiled over her head into the mirror. "You're such a wonderful girl, Shizuka; so nice and bright. I don't really understand why you chose to be a slayer…"

Shizuka fought back a sigh. Anzu usually had this talk with her when a boy was involved, whether it was in her life or Shizuka's; though it was usually Anzu herself, sometimes men came to her to talk to the female slayer. "Who is it this time, Anzu-san?"

"What makes you think there's anybody?" The older woman tried to look innocent.

Shizuka sent a look into the mirror that made Anzu laugh nervously. "Anzu-san…"

Sighing, Anzu ran her fingers back through her brown hair and leaned beside the mirror. "Shizuka, there are at least three dozen men in the castle alone that would have you for their wife," she said.

"And most of them are slayers or guards," Shizuka said so as to prove she was not completely ignorant. Grabbing her hairbrush from the basket holding her old clothes, she brushed through her still dripping hair. "What's your point?"

"My point is that you should answer at least a couple of them," Anzu replied. "It's terrible to leave them so hopeful like that."

_Unlike you who prefers to try them out for two or three days and then drop them for the next guy in line,_ Shizuka thought. Out loud, she said, "I'm just not interested."

"What is it you're waiting for?" Anzu asked. "You know almost every young man in the kingdom, why not choose one of them to at least try and get interested in?"

"Because I don't want to," Shizuka replied, fighting to keep her voice calm. She finished brushing her hair and headed for the door. "Maybe I am waiting for someone, I don't know. But I have my own way of living my life, Anzu-san." Shizuka was careful not to slam the door behind her as she left.

Anzu was one of Shizuka's only female friends, but sometimes…she just tried to push the younger girl too hard in a direction she didn't want to go.

As she walked through the hall, Shizuka came to a large window and gazed out towards the west as the setting sun turned the sky orange. She had seen the spectacle many times in the seven years since she and her brother had been brought to the kingdom, but it had never once lost its magnificence.

"Shizuka-chan?"

The young woman looked up and found Queen Hikari approaching her. "Highness…" Shizuka bowed and the queen put her hand beneath her chin to bring her eyes back to hers.

"Will you walk with me?" She complied by taking the woman's hand and they walked together down the hall. "Shizuka-chan, I'm fairly certain that Anzu has spoken with you already?"

Shizuka cast her gaze to the tiled floor. "Yes…"

"Well, I hope you won't be too upset with her," the queen went on and the young woman looked back up. "You will be turning eighteen soon, and as such, men have come to ask my son for your hand in marriage."

The young woman's eyes widened. "What?"

"Yugi has decided not to answer the calls for you, but instead have you answer them yourself. Katsuya-san would have come to inform you of this, but he became preoccupied with something and asked Anzu to talk to you about it."

Shizuka then felt a bit guilty for how she acted towards her friend and knew she would have to apologize. _She should have just said what the problem was instead of beating around the bush,_ she thought. "Highness…?"

"What is it?" The queen smiled.

"Well…" Shizuka took a deep breath. "You've been like a mother to me, treated me kindly and brought me up well, but…are you ashamed of the way of life I've chosen?"

Hikari blinked. "I'm not certain I understand you, Shizuka-chan…"

The young woman cast her eyes back to the floor. "I am…the only female slayer among the ranks," she said. "I wonder sometimes if maybe I should have become like the other girls in the castle."

"Oh, Shizuka-chan, don't say that." The queen put her hands on the young woman's shoulders. "You are who you should be; if you wanted to become a slayer, then you have, and are one of the best."

"It's not that exactly," Shizuka said. "Perhaps, if I had chosen to live differently, then I would have fallen in love already…"

Hikari took Shizuka's hands in hers. "Perhaps you will change after you fall in love, and maybe you won't; it is like that for many people. If you have no one in interest right now, then you will someday. Shizuka-chan, you are a person everyone falls in love with, some women are just born that way." The woman embraced the young slayer. "You will meet someone wonderful and fall in love, I'm sure of it!"

Shizuka returned the embrace and leaned her head against the queen's shoulder. "Thank you…"

- - -

The banquet hall was full of people standing or seated around a long table.

Yugi stood with his mother and Katsuya talking with others, but they occasionally looked at Shizuka as she apologized to the men who had asked to marry her. Even Honda was turned down, but he seemed to understand and tried not to take it too hard.

"Has she accepted any of them?" Yugi asked.

"No, not one," Katsuya replied with a sigh. "Not that I'd expect it, but it's still a killer blow."

Everyone close to Shizuka was able to see her pain and guilt for turning the men down but Anzu was the only one able to take action, as Yugi and Katsuya were preoccupied. The woman led her younger friend out onto the balcony where they were both able to breathe freely.

"There; feel better?" Anzu smiled.

Shizuka nodded. "Anzu-san. I'm…sorry for how I acted earlier, I was rude and…"

"Oh, forget it!" The woman smiled, patting her friend's shoulder. "And I'm sorry too. I guess I have talked to you about it too much."

"It's alright," Shizuka sighed and leaned against the railing to let the night breeze whisper through her hair. Closing her eyes, she heard a faint voice on the wind. "What?"

"What?" Anzu blinked.

Shizuka looked around before turning to her friend. "Did you…hear something a second ago?" Anzu shook her head no. Scanning the horizon, Shizuka felt her heart begin to pound in her chest.

"Anzu-san! Shizuka-san!" Ryuzaki stepped out onto the balcony. "The food is about to be served!"

"Thank you!" Anzu waved and turned back to Shizuka. "Shall we?"

"Y-Yeah…okay," the young woman followed her friend back inside, but not before looking back over her shoulder one last time in the hopes of seeing something. But nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary and she went back inside the hall, the feeling of something wrong nagging at her brain the whole time.

Yugi and the others raised their glasses in thanks to their Guardian Dragon and began the feast, talking and eating happily with no sign of anything hindering them. Shizuka however remained silent and ate little as she tried to uncover what it was she had sensed on the wind.

It was at that moment that a breeze passed through her hair, the unfamiliar voice with it:

…_ear me…Hear…Dan…er…_

Shizuka looked around frantically, but found no one or an open window from which the breeze had come from.

"Is something wrong, Shizuka?" Anzu asked, causing everyone else at the table to turn and look at the two women.

The young woman stood up and looked around as the hall fell silent. _Who's calling me?_ She started shaking as her heart rate excelerated and Shizuka spun around to face the series of windows leading out to the balcony. Suddenly, the glass on all the windows cracked.

It felt like an eternity crammed into a split-second before the windows shattered and whirlwinds broke into the room and scattered the food and dishes everywhere, tearing through the thick wood of the dining table. Everyone was thrown to the floor or against the walls and Yugi shielded his mother from flying glass as they hit the floor.

Looking back up at the sound of glass crunching underfoot, the prince saw a large, well-built man step in through one of the broken windows.

His hair was sunshine blond, though his skin was well tanned, and his eyes were a soft blue. He wore a black turtleneck, pants and a flowing black coat with fingerless gloves. The only bit of color on this man's outfit were two strange blue-green crystals, one which hung around his neck the other embedded in the palm of his right glove.

Katsuya and a few other warriors were able to shake themselves back up and grab weapons hanging on the walls. "Who are you!"

The man looked at the slayer coolly and without any hint of interest. "I have no reason to leave my name," he said. "I'm here only for the prince; _you_ are not worth my time."

"Don't give me that load of bull!" Katsuya exclaimed and charged at the stranger. The man however simply stepped to the side, dodging the attack, turned and slammed his elbow into Katsuya's back. When their leader fell, the slayers and guards attacked.

The assailant clapped his fists together and blue-green lightning shot throughout the room, making everyone jump back and shield their eyes from the bright light; pulling his hands apart, a pike appeared and stretched out five feet.

Using his newly formed weapon, the man hit the stunned warriors, blocked the hits of any who came at him and knocked them away. The stranger turned back to the prince and queen who still sat on the floor at the foot of the dais which held their thrones.

Before he could take one step, Ryuzaki jumped in front of his two rulers holding a mace. "You make one move in an attempt to harm them, I'll kill you!" He snarled.

"You have spirit, little one. However…" The man lifted his right hand and flicked his finger, sending a blast of energy at Ryuzaki that went through his right shoulder.

With a cry of agony, the slayer hit the ground holding his bleeding shoulder and glared back at the man as he stepped closer.

"…Spirit means little when faced with an unbeatable enemy."

Ryuzaki rolled over and pushed himself up to his knees, his right arm hanging useless at his side and blood trailing down and staining his sleeve. "I may not…have what it takes…to win…" he panted and pushed himself back up onto his feet and stood defiantly before the attacker. "But I'll be damned if I just stand by and watch you do this!"

Without a word, the stranger lifted his hand again and another charge of energy gathered in his hand. There was a tense moment before the ground beneath Ryuzaki, the queen and Yugi's feet exploded, sending them flying apart and back to the ground hard.

Before the dust could clear, the man picked the stunned Yugi up by his hair and clamped his right hand over the prince's mouth. When his air was cut off Yugi clawed at the man's arm in an attempt to free himself.

But the other man's grip only tightened as the crystal around his neck began to glow and a strange magic circle formed on the ground and small bits of electricity started to wrap around the struggling prince and dance along the man's arm. "Don't struggle," he said levelly. "This won't be painful. Just let it go."

As he spoke, Yugi's grip on the man's arm started to slack and the light in his violet eyes began to dim.

"STOP!"

The stranger looked back over his shoulder as Shizuka charged at them, a sword in her hands. But the second the blade touched the area above the circle, it hit some kind of barrier and a painful vibration of electricity shot through her body. The impact with the shield however threw her to the floor, saving her from any further agony; she curled up shakily as little bits of electricity danced up her arms and gradually disappeared as they moved along her body.

"If you're smart, you'll stay down," the man said. "No one can break the seal until its spell has run its course."

Shizuka looked back up as the blur of pain faded from her vision and she found Yugi's hands had fallen at his sides and he was no longer struggling. Without a second thought of her own well being, the young woman pushed herself back up and once on her feet stabbed at the shield again. Instantly pain shot through her bones and nerves and she flung her head back, releasing a scream as the green-blue light danced along her arms and between her teeth. But even so, she did not withdraw, even as her hands began to burn, gripping the hilt of her sword.

"You can't break through the seal!" The man shouted. "It's useless! You'll die if your don't back down!"

But the man's words only made Shizuka push harder against the barrier. She shut her eyes and she screamed louder as the burns on her hands started to bleed and the blade of her sword began to crack.

The young woman's persistence surprised the man, but not as much as the moment he realized the barrier began to crack along with her sword. He let Yugi's limp body fall to the floor just as the sword and barrier shattered, sending shards of metal and magic out across the room; several such magic shards landed in Shizuka's eyes.

The man spun around in time to catch Shizuka's right arm as she swung at him and held it up above her head. Holding the young woman's wrist tightly, the aggressor found all that remained of her weapon was the hilt with a shard only two inches long extending from it. He was amazed that Shizuka had been able to break the seal with nothing more than a mere sword and was not surprised to look back into her face and find her completely exhausted. She appeared to have no fight left save for what he saw in her damaged eyes; her gaze, despite their dimness, revealed she was still willing to fight even if it cost her her life.

"Impressive, little one."

Shizuka clenched her teeth in attempt to keep her burning eyes open and stay conscious. "Who…are…you…?"

The man slowly lowered her to the floor, her legs unable to hold her up and easily giving out beneath her weight. Standing back up, the man replied:

"Rafael."

He then turned and dashed away out the window he had entered by, accompanied by furious winds that kept anyone still able to fight from attempting to stop him.

Shizuka heard shouts and voices as her vision began to fade, but none of it seemed to make any sense. Looking back up she was able to steal one last glance at the prince who lay crumpled on the floor but only a few feet away from her.

_Yu…gi…_

Full of concern for the young man that had been like a second brother to her for ten years of her life, Shizuka blacked out.

- - -

Endo del **Chapter One**!

Now please excuse me as I explain a few little things I feel I should share with the general public that decided to keep reading.

First, the people living and serving in the Black Dragon Kingdom; you can probably guess it's a cooler looking Red Eyes Black Dragon. First, and perhaps the most obvious, I decided to put Jounouchi there because the card was in his possession for quite a while (duh) and Shizuka is there because she is related to him, and therefore related to Red Eyes. Second, Dinosaur Ryuzaki-kun; Red Eyes Black Dragon was originally his before Jounouchi won it from him in Duelist Kingdom, so I felt it would be nice to include him in the ranks.

Next, Yugi-kun's _ogaa-sama_. I've seen her twice in my life: the first time was in **_Shonen Jump_** the second time was on a Yu-Gi-Oh! Site and it was just one picture. I have no idea what her name is, and thus decided to make a bit of a joke with the name I gave to her. Flame me if you want, but that'll mean you won't know the end of this.

(Places hands on hips and laughs maniacally… Or attempts to.) I'm no good at being a proud jerk.

Anyway, please tune in next time for **Chapter Two: Kingdom of the White Dragon**. I'm sure you can guess who'll be in it.

_Wajane, minna-sama_! (Bow respectfully to retreating readers.)


	3. Kingdom of the White Dragon

**(Curtain rises to reveal cat-eared author in a purple kimono holding a fan)** Greetings, fellow fanfic readers and writers!

**(Bows respectfully)**I apologize that this chapter is so late, but my computer broke somehow and I had to rewrite everything on my mom's in order to post it. It really sucks, because I had actually finished the third chapter. The **_THIRD_**! I was in agony.

**(Opens fan to reveal the kanji for Gratitude)**

Anywho, a shout out to my first two reviewers!

To **Flowerperson**: Thank you! I'm planning to pair Shizuka up with Seto, the most loved and hated pairing in all of **YGO** fandom. Hmm...Bakura Ryou is, but if you mean the Tomb Robber Bakura (his real name was Arken), I haven't decided yet. Yes, Malik is in this story, Chapter Four. Varon's first appearance is also in Chapter Four. Look forward to it!

To **Myotismon13**: I'm glad you enjoy my story thus far. Sorry it took so long to update, but here ya go!

**Disclaimer:** I own **Yu-Gi-OH!** Kazuki Takahashi is a figment of my imagination, a pseudo being which I created to bring my work into the world. **(A Viking ship falls onto your cat-eared author)** I take it back...just move on...

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- - -

**Chapter Two: Kingdom of the White Dragon...**

Midday sunlight shone through the branches of the trees, warming patches of grass of the forest floor. Two riders on horseback passed through the beams of light, allowing it to shimmer off their armor and assorted weapons.

The first sat upright and proudly on the saddle of his black war horse. His age was around nineteen years; his hair was chestnut brown and shoulder length, but brushed back in a way to make it look shorter than it was, and his eyes were an intense blue, putting any sapphire gem to shame.

The second rider was much younger than the first, at most fourteen, and sat more relaxed upon his regular brown stallion. His hair was waist-length, black and in much more disarray than his older companion's, but it framed his youthful face in a way that it made him exceptionally adorable. And his large blue eyes matched those of the first rider in color, though they held much more light and exuberance than his companion.

These riders were the princes, Seto and Mokuba, of the White Dragon Kingdom.

Seto reined his horse to a halt and looked back as his younger brother caught up with him. "How are you holding up, Mokuba?" He asked in a voice like velvet.

The black-haired boy grinned, displaying all of his perfect white teeth. "It's warm out today, but I'm okay," he replied and pat his horse. "But Valent seems a little jittery."

The older prince nodded, as his own horse, Alumiss, had also been somewhat alert to something. Something had been playing at his own senses for some time now, both his sense of smell and hearing; but he had yet to see what it was. Seto slowly raised his crossbow and cocked an arrow, his index finger ready at the trigger.

Mokuba noticed his brother's actions and started to ready his own crossbow when Seto motioned for him to stop and move closer to him. As he complied, a figure in black jumped down from the branches of a nearby tree and landed on the older prince, pulling him off the horse.

Seto and the attacker wrestled on the ground for control the crossbow, but it ended when the prince accidentally pulled the trigger and the arrow hit a tree. The crossbow was torn from Seto's grasp and thrown out of reach, but he took the opportunity to land a punch to his attacker's face and jumped back up.

"Mokuba!" He turned back to his brother. "Go!"

"Nii-sama--!"

Seto looked back in time to dodge being cut by the attacker's knife. He promptly punched the black-clad man in the face, sending him sliding back a few feet. This way, the prince could see the man fully; he was dressed in a black outfit with no loose fabric anywhere, his head and face were also covered by a black cloth, leaving only his brown eyes visible.

Straightening, Seto placed his hand on the short sword on his belt and partially drew it from its scabbered. "Who are you?"

The man scoffed, poising is wrist like the head of a snake ready to strike. "Do you want to curse the name of your killer?"

"Actually, I wanted to know what to put on your grave," the older prince replied icily with an equally cold smirk. "There are so many nameless ones already."

The attacker charged, but Seto countered with his short sword, effectively snapped the man's wrist with his free hand and knocked the knife away. The man cried out and fell to one knee cradling his injured wrist, but promptly kicked Seto's legs out from under him and dove for the prince's short sword.

Dirt and dead leaves were scattered in the tussle, and despite Seto's firm grip on his blade, the assassin was gaining the upper hand by turning it on him. Sunlight gleamed off the metal, making the prince squint, but he was also reaching his other hand out and drawing an array in the dirt.

Once completed, Seto slammed his hand down on the array; in a flash of blue light, clumps of dirt shot out of the ground, knocking the assassin off the prince. Seto jumped back to his feet as the killer wobbled back to his own and leaned against a tree for support.

"I'll ask again..." Seto drew the broadsword strapped to his back, "...who are you? Who sent you?"

The killer bowed his head breathlessly, sweat making his mask cling to his face. Then, without any warning, the killer charged, his knife reclaimed in his good hand. Suddenly, mid-run, the man stumbled

With ease, Seto knocked the knife away with his broadsword and stabbed his short sword into the man's abdomen. The assassin choked his last few breaths and coughed some blood out onto Seto's shoulder as he fell forward.

The prince pushed the dead weight off, and only when the man fell on his side did he see the arrow embedded in the attacker's back. Seto's blue eyes shot to black-haired brother who stood by his horse, his fired crossbow in his trembling hands.

In a liquid motion, Seto tore the arrow from the man's back, rolled him over and stabbed the assassin's own knife into his chest.

Cleaning off his short sword and returning his weapons to their respective places, the prince walked over to retrieve his crossbow from the ground and looked back at Mokuba, who's own gaze was on the ground. "I told you to run," he said simply.

The younger prince nodded guiltily.

"Why didn't you?"

"That one came too close, Nii-sama!" Mokuba blurted. "You almost--" He started shaking and cast his eyes back to the ground. "They always go after you..." he whispered. "But you're always worried more about me..."

Seto sighed and walked over to his younger brother, falling to one knee and brushed Mokuba's dark bangs out of his deep blue eyes. "Don't look down," he said. "Keep looking up and ahead, never down."

Mokuba nodded and hugged his brother tightly. Too many times had they almost lost each other; that was why they had to be heavily armed, even when going out for a simple ride.

Since birth Prince Seto had been the target for many assassinations, and by the age of nine he had been forced to take up the sword in order to defend himself and his brother. He had become frighteningly good at it.

Retrieving his arrow from its place in a tree branch, Seto mounted his horse and he and Mokuba raced back the way they had come, leaving their attacker as he was; nameless and alone.

They soon broke through the trees and came out on a vast hill, overlooking the White Dragon Kingdom. Unlike its Western counterpart, the Black Dragon Kingdom, the Kingdom of the White Dragon had stone streets and was always bustling with people that dwelled there and those who simply passed through as travellers or officials.

On the outskirts were farms and houses, but the buildings in the city were much closer together, building up rather than out most of the time. Every few places in the city was a well or fountain, supplying each area with the necessary water, though most buildings had internal waterways.

In the very center of the city was the castle. Made of pure white stone, it bore four large towers which faced each compass direction, as well as multiple smaller towers near the base which bridged them all together; all had the same magnificant blue roofs with silver lining.

However, despite how beautiful the kingdom was, it was rarely peaceful. One of the White Dragon Kingdom's most well-known and wealthy attributes was its military power. The King, Gozaburo, often lent his forces to distant countries in the middle of wars and in need of a victory, and through such alliances, expenses and recognitions were gained.

Descending the hill, Seto and Mokuba made their way to the castle courtyard through a forgotten, underground road and left their horses with the stableboys before heading for the castle.

"Mokuba! Seto!"

Directing their eyes to the voice, the two princes looked up to an open hall and saw a young man the same age as Seto that looked almost exactly like him, save for his aquamarine hair. He wore a white outfit with lavender lining the hems of his sleeves and the collar of his jacket, trailing down where it unbuttoned and a lavender cape. This boy was their half-brother, Prince Noa, Heir to the White Dragon throne.

Mokuba waved to his older, half-brother with a smile, while Seto went on walking to the main entrance, leaving his younger, full-blooded brother to chase after him.

It was common knowledge that the two eldest princes were not on the best of terms, due more to Seto's reclusive nature than Noa's. In truth, if you caught them during a good study session, you would see that the two actually got along fairly well; the knot in their relationship was due to the fact they had different mothers as well as the knowledge that the king had chosen Noa to succeed him.

The princes met as Seto and Mokuba climbed the main stairs leading to their bed chambers.

"You're back earlier than usual today," Noa said as he and Mokuba followed Seto. "Did something happen?"

"Just the usual reasons why we say you shouldn't come riding with us," Seto replied.

The Heir's deep blue eyes widened and then softened with a sigh. "Again?" Though he himself had rarely been targeted for such hostilities, Noa was aware of his half-siblings' reoccuring visits from assassins and worried about it. "Should we dispatch the guards to look for your attacker?"

"They'll find him in the woods, with his knife in his chest," Seto replied.

Noa stiffened. "His _own_ knife?" He looked at Mokuba. "How did it happen!"

The youngest prince opened his mouth to speak, but no sound escaped and he cast his blue eyes down to red carpet of the stairs.

"The guy was sloppy," Seto lied as they finally made it to the top of the stairs and walked down the hall to their quarters. "He fell onto his own knife after I cut him up a few times."

Entering Seto's bed chamber, Mokuba went to his own, and Noa was left to wait in the hall. Coming back out, Seto had changed out of his riding clothes and now wore a black turtleneck and pants covered by a flowing purple coat. Mokuba followed soon after wearing a white turtleneck and pants covered by a simple red tunic.

"Noa, how early are we for our lessons?" Seto asked his half, twin-like brother.

"Uh, by about...four hours, I believe," Noa replied thoughtfully.

Seto smirked devilishly, which caused his two siblings to smile. "Well, we can always get a couple more volumes ahead of those egghead scholors during that time."

It was true, the three princes were well past where their teachers had meant for them to be in their studies. And in more ways than one were they a difficult force to reckon with.

The second most well-known fact which brought the White Dragon Kingdom fame was its study in Alchemy, a highly developed, scientific technique of understanding the structure of matter, decomposing it and then reconstructing it--if performed skillfully, it was even possible to create gold out of lead. However, as it was a science, there were some natural principles in place. Only one thing could be created from something else of a certain mass; this was the principle of Alchemic Equilibrium.

Making it to the library, the princes went into the older area of the castle's vast library and each chose a book from random shelves and laid them on the ground. Seto went on to draw an array around them with a piece of chalk. Each prince place one hand on the circle and in a flash of gold light the tattered books were renewed.

"Do you really think that there's anything to bring us ahead in these?" Noa asked, picking up one of the books. "These are pretty outdated."

"Exactly why those fountain-heads wouldn't look at them," Mokuba grinned as he paged though his own chosen book. "Besides, even if we do know it, _they_ probably wouldn't know that. Ne, Nii-sama?"

Seto picked up his own book and paged though it until he found something of interest and marked it before closing it again. "Let's go."

- - -

The three princes stood in the gardens as Mokuba finished his array in the dirt. Once content and sure of its accountability, the young boy clapped his hands down on the design. The array lit up with blue electricity and a large clump of earth seperated from the ground and reshaped itself into a pot as big as the young prince.

Mokuba released a sigh and sat back as he examine his work.

"That's the biggest one I've seen you make, Mokuba!" Noa smiled. "Incredible!"

But the youngest prince shook his head. "Plenty of other people can do that..." he said breathlessly. "I wanna...do better...Bigger...!" Mokuba tried to get up, but found he had used too much energy and couldn't stand.

Seto put his hand on his brother's black head, making the boy look up. "That's enough for now," he said. "Rest. It's my turn."

A reluctant, exhausted nod was Mokuba's only reply.

Seto moved further out and drew out his array. He knelt down as he checked his book once more and then placed his hand on the circle. Blue light illuminated the garden and a stone pedestal grew out of the ground, reaching out towards the blue sky.

"Incredible!" Noa gaped.

"Amazing, Nii-sama!" Mokuba cheered.

The Second prince looked back at his full blood brother with a smile and stood up, but promptly faltered and leaned against his most recent creation for support. Mokuba hobbled to his feet and Noa rushed over, but before the Heir could touch his half-brother's shoulder, Seto smacked it away.

Mokuba finally made it to his brother's side and leaned against him as his feet started to give out. "Nii-sama, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mokuba," Seto replied as he held his head. "I just...I guess I used more energy than I meant to."

"No surprise," Noa said, admiring the monument. "It is quite a piece."

Seto held out the book. "Want to try it?"

The Heir chuckled and shook his head. "If it took that much of a toll on _you_, it would likely kill me."

The two half-brothers shared a short chuckle, when a guard came up. "I apologize for intruding," he bowed. "Prince Seto, the King requests your presence in the throne room."

Seto's face darkened and he stood himself up. But as he proceeded to follow the guard, Mokuba latched onto his waist. "Mokuba, what--"

"He's gonna hit you again!" The boy said, holding his brother tighter.

Carefully detatching the boy's arms from his waist, Seto fell to one knee with his hands on Mokuba's shoulders. "Go hide somewhere," he said and then directed his eyes up to Noa. "Watch over him."

The Heir nodded, both of them knowing what awaited Seto.

- - -

The throne room of the castle was vast with a floor made of strange blue marble that reflected those who stood on it perfectly and looked like the night sky; windows lined the wall and with deep blue curtains tied by silver rope, light was allowed to shine into the room. However, the sunlight did nothing to warm the room and thaw the biting cold that filled it.

Carved out of the white stone of the walls was the dais and the throne at the far end of the room. And upon that throne sat a man; his hair was short and gray while his mustach was a darker gray, and, if you could get past the cold blackness of them, you could see his eyes were the same color of Seto's.

King Gozaburo looked down at Seto coldly, but the prince stared back defiantly and proud. He had not once bowed before his father, nor would he now.

"I saw your session with your brother's just now," Gozaburo said finally.

Seto was sure he usually did, since he only called Seto when he was sure he had exhausted himself. "And?"

"A very impressive piece of work," the King replied, bridging his fingers together and leaning his chin on them. "What else have you learned?"

"Anything necessary," Seto said.

"Anything...necessary," Gozaburo repeated slowly. He seemed to consider something a moment before motioning for the guards to leave. And leave they did, for they knew what these visits between the King and Prince usually entailed.

Seto watched the guards exit the room out of the corner of his eye, but otherwise watched as Gozaburo decended the steps of the dais, his red, white fur-line cap trailing along the ground after him.

"Anything necessary?" The King asked. Seto kept his silence, and was promptly punched in the stomach, bringing him to one knee. But Gozaburo went on to kick the young man until he had curled up to protect his insides from another assault.

Seto winced as the King grabbed him by his hair and lifted him up. "And yet, you haven't learned to obey your master?"

The prince did not reply, as he had learned a long time ago that he would be hit whether he answered or not, and was content to refrain from biting his tongue when Gozaburo went on with his beating. Finally, after a long painful hour, Seto lay on the ground covered in cuts and bruises and Gozaburo left him on the floor in the bloody heap he had put him in.

Seto rolled onto his back so he could breathe and stared up at the ceiling; there was a round window in the very center and he saw two birds fly overhead. Numbed by pain, his thoughts drifted.

He remembered he and his mother would sit in the garden to watch birds when he was a boy. What had happened?

"Seto..." A voice hissed. "Seto!"

"Nii-sama...!"

Seto couldn't turn his head, he was so exhausted, but Mokuba and Noa soon came into his line of view and he felt himself lifted up off the ground and vaguely remembered them taking him to the infirmary.

- - -

Seto sat on the bed of clean linen, jerking slightly as the lady doctor disinfected his injuries and bandaged them. She was very beautiful, in her late twenties or early thirties; her hair was a golden brown color and most of it was tied back into a bun, but the strands left flowed past her shoulders, and her eyes were dark but gentle brown.

"You'll probably want to stay in bed for a few days," the woman said. Or, at the very least, not take part in any activities where you physically exert yourself."

The prince did not respond, nor did he give any words of gratitude as he pulled his shirt back on. But after so many years of treating Seto's injuries, the doctor had come to not expect any and remained content with his staying alive.

"Thank you _so_ much!" Mokuba bowed to the lady doctor.

The woman smiled and nodded. "Of course, sir."

Noa looked back at Seto coolly. "What was it about this time?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Seto snapped. "You are the Heir, after all. You should be able to learn some information from that man."

The proclaimed Heir cast his gaze off to the side painfully. "I tried that once..." he replied and put his right hand on his left arm slowly. Though the injury had healed, the memory of Gozaburo's punishment for speaking out of turn remained fresh; that was the first time he had hurt Noa by breaking his arm.

"That's right, you're still not over that first incident," the brown-haired prince scoffed. "Pathetic."

Noa's blue eyes flashed angrilly as his gaze locked with Seto's. At which time Mokuba, feeling the heat begin to gather between his two brothers, jumped between them. "Nii-sama, I think it would be a good idea for you to get some sleep," he said. "That way you can stay out of sight for a little while."

Seto broke the glare going on between him and Noa to look at his full-blood brother. Mokuba stared back with an anxious, pleading look that made the older boy sigh wtih resignation. "Okay. I do feel a little tired..."

The doctor that had treated Seto offered him a bed, but he chose to walk back to his own quarters. Pulling his purple jacket over his shoulders, he stood up on uneasy legs and slowly limped out of the room.

"Noa..." At his name, the Heir looked back at Mokuba. "Nii-sama understands why you wouldn't want to speak out again, but you have to understand that he has gone through the same punishment hundreds of times."

Noa's gaze wandered to the window wth a sigh. "I _do_ understand," he replied. "What I don't is why he doesn't simply do as Father commands of him to make it stop."

"Because that isn't who he is," the doctor said, surprising both princes with her interjection. "For the past ten years I have treated Prince Seto's wounds and afflictions, however, not once has he lost that light of dignity. No matter what the King has put him through, the Prince will not bow to his command."

Noa winced, as though the doctor had disinfected a cut. "And you're saying that _I_ have?"

"I did not say that," the lady doctor replied. "You too have your dignity and your pride, my lord. You, however, conceal it when in the presence of your father."

There was a moment of thick silence before Noa chuckled dryly. "I could have you imprisoned or executed for saying such things, you are aware of this."

The doctor nodded. "I am, and will accept my punishment."

But Noa smiled and shook his head solemnly. "Not even Seto or Mokuba has said the truth to my face..." he said, bowing his head.

Mokuba stared up at his half-brother sadly. Though he was not as close with him as he was with Seto, they were still brothers and Mokuba did love Noa. Slowly, the youngest prince hugged the Heir.

Noa put his hand on the boy's black head and they stood there for a good time, with the doctor watching over them gently.

- - -

Seto finally made it back to his room after a long, painful walk down the hall and up the stairs, and for a moment he regretted not simply sleeping in the infirmary.

His room was very elegant, with a large fireplace at the far end of the room and lovely blue couches with silver painted wood positioned around it for winter purposes; his bed was on the opposite end of the room, straight across from the fireplace and draped by the same blue fabric that made the furniture and thick blankets.

Seto draped his jacket over the back of the chair of his writing desk before climbing onto his bed. It was not long before he was fast asleep.

_The nine year-old boy stood pressed back against the wall as the shadows of people past over him. Blue eyes wide with fear he stared at a crowd of panicking people only a few feet away, voices shouting and mixing together._

_However, one voice stood out among the rest. It was a woman, screaming hysterically about things the boy couldn't make out. But the words he could made him even more frightened than he already was and he covered his ears to drown out the noise._

_It was then that a wine glass rolled out of the crowd and stopped at the feet of the boy. The red liquid inside had spilled out across the red carpet, making it look like a trail of blood._

"_Highness..." The boy looked up towards the unfamiliar voice and met a pair of deep blue eyes framed by a dark face. "You are in danger..."_

Seto's eyes snapped open, and he looked around. He was in his room, lying on his bed.

With a sigh, he laid his head back down. _'A dream...of a distant past.'_ Seto turned his head toward the window on his left and found dusk had fallen, turning the sky a fiery orange.

The light shining through the window cast a beam on his chest, but everywhere on his body outside the light was painfully cold. In the pit of his stomach, Seto felt a cold pain clench tightly and he winced as his breathing became shallow. Something was wrong.

Sitting up, gripping his stomach, he gazed out the window at the setting sun. _'Mokuba...Noa...'_ Something was coming, and though he didn't know what it was, it endangered his brothers.

Seto stood up, but promptly fell to one knee as pain shot through his senses. The bruises and various other pains from Gozaburo's beating had finally set in; the prince's breathing became even more shallow than before and the pain in his stomach didn't help as it continued to increase.

He nonetheless pushed himself up to his feet and leaned against the wall as he made it to the door. Normally, the result of a beating as bad as the one Gozaburo had given Seto that day would have the prince totally incapable of moving for at least two days, but he bit back the pain and hobbled down the hall.

- - -

Noa sat on a stone bench in the garden, looking out at the forest on the other side of the small river. To his right, Mokuba set a small flower at the feet of an angel statue and then joined his half-brother on the bench.

"I wonder..."

Mokuba looked up. "What?"

"What makes a man worthy to become King?" Noa looked out across the mirror-like waters of the river at a small flock of swans. "Father became King because his brother died in battle, so the position fell to him. But...why was _I_ chosen and not Seto?"

The prince looked at his hands, paler in complexion to his two brothers and less rough from hardly being in any combat situations. "I often wondered about it, but I guess that I didn't really _want_ to know the answer," he went on quietly. "I wanted to think that maybe I was worthy, but...I'm not."

"Noa..." Mokuba didn't know what he could say to quell his half-brother's feelings.

"Someone righteous, proud and strong should be in my place," Noa went on. "Seto is..." He stopped as he came to a realization. "That's why. All this time, that's why he's been--"

Noa was cut off when the swans on the river fled the water and flew right past the two princes. Looking through the the shower of water and feathers, the Heir saw Gozaburo standing a few yards away, examining the stone monument Seto had made earlier that day.

"We should go inside now..."

Mokuba, also having seen the King, nodded in full agreement. However, as the two head back towards the castle, Gozaburo spotted them and blocked their way.

"What might you two be doing out here?" The man inquired. "It's getting dark."

"Merely admiring the scenery, Father," Noa replied, quickly stepping in front of Mokuba. "We were just going back inside."

Gozaburo nodded, slowly directing his gaze to the youngest prince. Though the princes got their eyes from their father, marking them as members of the White Dragon royal family, unlike the three princes, the King's gaze was piercing and cold.

"Mokuba..."

Full of reluctance, the black-haired boy stepped out from behind his older, half-brother. "Yes, sir?"

"I am to understand that you and Seto went out on another ride today," Gozaburo said.

Mokuba's eyes widened in shock. The knowledge that he and Seto went out on rides at all was a strict secret, known only by Noa and Seto's most trusted servant, Isono. Fighting back the urge to run away, Mokuba straightened up, facing the King squarely. "We did, sir," he replied.

"Did anything happen while you were out?" Gozaburo asked.

Something in the youngest prince's instincts shouted 'Danger!' but he held his ground. "No, nothing..." he lied. "However, I do apologize if we...broke rhythm with today's studies."

Something dangerous flashed in Gozaburo's eyes and in a striking motion Mokuba was unable to catch, the King held the collar of the boy's shirt and pulled him up to his toes.

Noa started forward, but was held back with a dark look from the King before he returned his attention to Mokuba. "Don't patronize me, boy!" He said venomously. "I know you met with someone today...!"

The grip on his shirt became painful and resticting. "An...another killer was sent out...!" Mokuba replied. "That is all...! After that we came back...!"

"You always come back..." Gozaburo hissed. "No matter how many are sent, no matter how many dark places you are pushed into, you _always_ come back out!"

Mokuba's eyes widened as color drained from his face. "What--"

Before he was able to finish, Gozaburo had his hands around the boy's throat and was steadily cutting off his air. Unable to hold himself up, Mokuba sank to the ground and the King held him down as he went on choking him.

"Father! Stop it!" Noa grabbed Gozaburo's arm, but the man backhanded the youth in the face, sending him the the ground. The Heir quickly got back up, seeing his brother struggling to breathe as tears trailed down his face. "MOKUBA!"

A beam of blue light shot by Noa's head, just barely nicking off some of his aquamarine hair, before impacting with one of Gozaburo's arms. In an explosion of burning flesh and bone, Gozaburo cried out in agony, holding the burning stump that had once been his hand as he rolled off of Mokuba and lay on the ground writhing in pain.

Noa wasted no time in reaching his younger half-brother's side. "Mokuba! Mokuba, are you alright!"

The black-haired prince coughed, bringing air back into his deprived lungs and simply lay on his back breathing before he answered. "Y-Yeah...I'm...I'm okay..."

The Heir sat back as he gave a relieved sigh at his brother's safety. Looking at the King as he struggled to rise to his feet, spit foaming at his mouth like a rabid dog, Noa did not feel any remorse for the man that was his father. _ 'But what...?'_ Noa cast his gaze back over his shoulder, in the direction the beam had come from.

Looking across the river, Noa almost missed him; a young man around his age, with short red hair, dressed in black clothes blended in almost perfectly with the darkness of the forest behind him. And suddenly, he disappeared.

Noa and Mokuba nearly jumped out of their skins when they found the mysterious young man standing right beside them. The red-haired youth knelt down by the youngest prince and carefully examined his neck; the boy noticed a strange crystal dangling from around the stranger's neck and stared at it curiously.

"Will you be alright?" He asked, his silver gaze meeting the boy's blue.

Mokuba blinked. "Huh? Oh! Yeah, I'll be fine!" He glanced down. "...Thank you."

The young man nodded and then looked at Noa, examining his features with more scrutiny. "Which one are you?"

"The Heir...Noa," the aquamarine-haired prince replied. "Who--"

He cut off when blue electricity shot across the ground and the three directed their attention to Gozaburo, who had drawn an array in the dirt. Within minutes, soldiers made from dirt and rock pulled themselves free of the ground and placed themselves between the King and the three youths.

The red-haired stranger rose to his feet and drew his sword. "Amelda."

"What?" Noa blinked.

"You were about to ask my name, weren't you?" The young man glanced down at the Heir with his silver gaze. "It's Amelda." With that said, he charged into the horde of fake soldiers and proceeded to cut them apart.

Mokuba, having regained his breath, stood up, pulling Noa's arm. "Let's go! We've got to get help!"

Noa agreed fully with his brother and fellow prince, but looking back at Amelda as he fought, he felt compelled to stay. "You go."

"But Noa--"

The Heir knelt down, putting his hands on Mokuba's shoulder. "You have to find Seto and tell him what Gozaburo has done," he said. "I'll stay here and make sure he doesn't do anything else."

The fact that Noa had referred to the King by name caught Mokuba off guard, but helped him to understand just how serious his half-brother was being towards the situation. He could only nod before running off towards the castle.

Noa stood back up and watched as Amelda went through the dirt men, cutting off their arms, then seperating their torsos from their legs. When the red-haired youth looked back, he was slightly surprised to find the Heir still there. But he nonetheless went on cutting through the horde of alchemized soldiers until he made it thorugh to Gozaburo and lopped off his remaining hand as he skid across the array; without the array, the soldiers fell apart, returning to being mere chunks of dirt and rock.

'_Incredible!'_ Noa stood in awe of Amelda's strength and agility.

Gozaburo fell back, screaming at the bleeding stubs that had been his hands only moments ago.

"It's different when _you're_ the one getting your hands cut off, isn't it?" Amelda asked icily. "You're probably wondering how you'll be able to use Alchemy without yours hands now, aren't you? How you'll be able to do anything at all..." The strange, red-haired youth pulled a cloth from his black jacket and cleaned the blood from his sword before returning it to its scabbard.

Gozaburo looked back into Amelda's silver eyes, spit still foaming around his mouth. "Who...Who the hell are you!"

"I doubt you would remember me," Amelda replied. "But know this...I _hate_ you, Gozaburo. You, and those who share your blood..." Suddenly, the young man disappeared.

Noa quickly found Amelda standing right in front of him, but had little to no time to react when the red-haired youth caught the Heir by the throat. Beneath their feet, a strange array of blue-green light appeared and Noa spotted the same circle appear on Amelda's forhead. The crystal around his neck lit up, as did a stone embedded in the palm of the red-haired intruder's glove, which Noa felt digging into his neck painfully.

The Heir gripped Amelda's arm, digging his nails into his skin and, for the first time in his life, Noa drew the blood of another human being.

However, Amelda did not comply to the pain Noa was inflicting on him and his hold on the prince's throat remained firm. "You won't be killed," he said. "You should feel honored that you'll be used to help rebuild the world."

Noa, despite how he fought to hold onto consciousness, felt exhaustion dampen his strength and his focus began to blur. He fell to one knee, still attempting to stay awake, but it was slowly fading.

Suddenly, the barrier made by the Seal rippled and Amelda looked back over his shoulder to find Seto lying on the ground, shivering with pain as blue-green snakes of electricity danced along his body from having impacted with the barrier.

"And the third Prince arrives!" Amelda chuckled.

Seto struggled to sit up, not all his pain having been inflicted by the barrier, and looked back up at the red-haired intruder as he appeared to be choking his half-brother. Noa, though his pupils were dialated, directed his gaze to his twin, half-brother and reached out to him.

With no little strain, Seto pushed himself up to his knees, wincing as his injuries from Gozaburo's beating burned; but he picked himself up to his feet and punched the barrier, his arm going numb from a painful vibration on impact. But he continued to beat against the wall of light, ignoring the bleeding and burns spreading up his hands.

Amelda scoffed and returned his attention to the weakening Noa, when a cracking noise made his silver gaze widen and shoot back to Seto. The prince froze for a moment when he found cracks forming on the barrier, but quickly continued to beat away at it, making more cracks.

'_Impossible!'_ Amelda stared in disbelief as he watched the cracks grow and spread further under Seto's beatings. The red-haired youth looked back at Noa to find he had gone completely limp, his blue eyes staring off into nothing.

Amelda picked Noa up by the collar of his shirt and hurled him at Seto just as the Seal disappeared. The brown-haired prince fell to the ground, Noa's weight knocking the wind out of him, and lay there coughing.

After catching his breath, Seto sat up and turned his half-brother onto his back. "Noa!" He jerked back slightly when he found the Heir's gaze empty and lifeless.

Placing his hand next to his mouth, Seto was relieved to find Noa was still breathing, but could not undertsand what the red-haird intruder had done.

Amelda, meanwhile, looked back to Gozaburo, who had leaned back against the stone monument Seto had Alchemized and pushed himself up to his feet. Drawing his short sword, he hurled it at the King and it stabbed through his shoulder, pinning him to the stone.

Appearing before Gozaburo, Amelda drew his sword once again.

"W-Wait! Wait!" The King pleaded. "Don't kill me! I'll--"

"Offer me money?" Amelda inquired. "Power? Anything I ask for, right?"

"Anything you want!" Gozaburo exclaimed.

The red-haired intruder held his sword in front of his face, showing the man his reflection in the metal of his sword, and he whispered his one desire, "I want my brother back, you son of a bitch...!"

Seto pulled Noa onto his back and pushed himself up to one knee, prepared to carry him back to the castle, when he looked up just in time to see Amelda stab Gozaburo straigh through. The stone of the monument was chipped and stained as the ground was drenched by the man's blood.

And the prince froze, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief.

drawing his sword back out of the man, Amelda cleaned the blood from his sword once again and looked back at Seto to find him staring wide-eyed at the slain King. He walked over to the prince and placed the tip of his blade at Seto's throat. "You cracked the Seal of Orichalcos..." he said. "What in the seven hells are you?"

Had Seto been aware he was being addressed, he still wouldn't have been able to answer, for two arrows shot past his head and hit the ground near Amelda's feet. The red-haired youth looked back towards the castle to find Mokuba running toward them, backed by two dozen guards.

Amelda sent one last glance at the stunned Seto before fading away and reappearing on the other side of the river, where he disappeared again and again further into the forest, until he had vanished from sight.

Several guards ran off into the forest in persuit of Amelda, while Mokuba skidded to a halt and knelt by his brothers. "Nii-sama! Nii-sama, what happened!"

The older of the full-blood brothers did not reply.

"Seto-sama?" Isono knelt down beside his master. "Are you alright, sir?"

But Seto did not respond, and instead went on staring at the corpse of the man who had once been the King and his father, who in turn stared back with lifeless blue eyes.

'_Dead!'_ The realization of the truth finally seemed to sink into this numbed mind. _'That mountain of flesh! That **monster**! He's...**dead**!'_

Suddenly, a huge gust of wind nearly knocked Seto to the ground, but he looked up as an enormous brown eagle passed overhead. As it flew towards the West, the prince could see Amelda sitting on the bird's back, his long black coat flapping behind him in the headwinds.

The death of the king set an unnamable weight in Seto's stomach and he fell forward, barely able to keep himself up with the support of his shaking arms.

- - -

- - -

**(Your cat-eared author is sitting on a tatami mat as the Vikings are bandaging the injuries she had sustained from their ship falling on her)** First, I'd like to apologize to Takahashi-_san_ for that little joke. Thor has been gracious enough to treat my wounds, so long as I never try that joke again. (He warned me that that's why the Wicked Witch of the East was taken out; copyright infringment can be murder). Well, that was Chapter Two of Dragon Kings.

Now, for a little bit of an explanation I feel I should give to the general public.

First, I accidently made a bit of a joke with the White Dragon Royal Family. You see, there are three princes, each have the same color blue eyes--I'm fairly certain that Mokuba's eyes are darker, but I wanted to show some form of relation between him and Seto--and in **YGO**, Kaiba-_kun_ has three Blue Eyes White Dragon Cards. I didn't even realize I had done that until I was half way through the Chapter, but my sister said it was cool, so I left it.

And if you want, you could even look at Gozaburo's death as Kaiba-_kun_ ripping Yugi's Grandpa's Blue Eyes card up in Ep. 1 of **_Duel Monsters_**. (I am such a dork...)

Also, anyone who watches **Fullmetal Alchemist** will probably want to kick my butt for the Alchemy stuff, and I will hereby admit to using **FMA **for referance. Kaiba-_kun_, throughout what I've seen of **YGO ** (**KidsWB**, ugh...), is very firm in his belief that magic does not exist, so I felt he should use Alchemy, a _science_. Also, so that no one comes to eat my head while I'm sleeping, I will reveal now that Seto will be able to use Alchemy later without the aid of an array, like Ed, but as this is a fanfic and I am not planning to sell it for profit, my sister says it's okay.

I hope...

But anyway, MOVING ON!

**(Author opens her fan, revealing the kanji for Lightning)**

Next time, Chapter Three: Kingdom of the Red Dragon! Prepare to meet Lord Pegasus, a sorcerer married to the Queen Cyndia. Along with his apprentice, Bakura Ryou, he'll face the Harpy Keeper, Kujaku Mai!

Hope to see you again next time! **(Tries to bow, but it hurts too much and one of the Vikings brings her an ICEE)** _Bai bai_, _min'na-san_...


	4. Kingdom of the Red Dragon

**(Curtain rises and your cat-eared author stands onstage bearing a grin of extreme happiness)** _Ohayo_, _min'na-san_! I'm really happy about the reviews I got for Chapter Two! I hope it was worth the wait.

I was also a little surprised that so many people have seen **The Princess Bride** and caught that little snippet of Amelda-_kun_'s. My sister loved the "I want my brother back, you son of a bitch," part and hopes that everyone else did too.

But now, onward to Chapter Three, peeps! Enjoy!

Oh yeah.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **Yu-Gi-OH!**

- - -

- - -

**Chapter Three: Kingdom of the Red Dragon...**

In the castle of the Red Dragon Kingdom, a young girl ran frantically down the halls, looking from room to room, occaisionally knocking over someone loaded down with books and papers.

She was thirteen, though still exceptionally small; her hair was sunshine blonde and went down to her waist, while her soft blue eyes were shielded by half-moon spectacles. This was Rebecca, top scholar of the entire kingdom and advisor to the Queen.

At present, she was not happy.

Making it to the main study hall, Rebecca flung the doors open, making the lone, white-haired figure in the room jump and fall backwards in his seat. Despite what one might think due to his white hair, he was not old in the least--in contrast the reader was only sixteen years of age and had an even more youthful innocence about him when one saw his large brown eyes.

"Ryou!" Rebecca ran over to Ryou Bakura, the young man, as he stood back up, rubbing the back of his head. "I've looked and looked and have not found Her Royal Highness or Lord Pegasus anywhere!" She slapped her small hands on the smooth wood surface of the desk, making the older boy jump again. "Do you have any idea where they might be? The Meeting is in less than four hours, and I haven't seen them at all today!"

"I haven't seen them around either," Ryou replied as he shook his head. "I've been in here since breakfast." He stopped as a thought suddenly sprang to mind. "Are any of Master Pegasus' artbooks missing?"

Rebecca's eyes narrowed. "I don't know. Why?"

Ryou stiffened, realizing he had perhaps just placed his teacher in a dangerous situation. "N-No reason!" He chuckled nervously, burying his face in his book once again.

Rebecca casually pulled the book away from the young man's face. "Ryou, where are they?"

- - -

"Pegasus! This is silly!" Cyndia laughed as she was led blindfolded through the woods. She was in her early thirties, with long sunshine-blonde hair with the slightest hint of a curl and extremely smooth skin, untouched by any sort of difficult labor or harsh abuse. "You do this every time!"

"It's more enjoyable this way," the man called Pegasus replied. he was slightly older than the woman, but displayed no such mood that he was anywere older than twelve; his silver hair went a couple inches past his shoulders and hung loosely around his face, almost covering his orange eyes. He adjusted the artbook under his left arm as he moved some tree branches out of his path and led his wife through, guiding her with his right hand.

"You've done this since we were children," she said. "I've never come here without being blindfolded. Are you afraid I'll tell everyone?"

"Of course not," Pegasus leaned his forehead against Cyndia so that their noses touched. "But you have fun doing this right?" The woman nodded. "That's why I'll never take you here without the blindfold." Cyndia smiled slyly and took the opportunity to stand up on her toes and kiss her husband.

No one, not even those who had disagreed the the marriage between the Queen of the Red Dragon Kingdom and the top trade merchant and first class sorcerer, could ever say that their bond was unhappy. They had been friends since childhood, and once able to understand such feelings had fallen in love. Though Pegasus came from a merchant lineage, it had actually helped to allow him to visit Cyndia and build up enough nobility to ask for her hand in marriage.

They finally came out of the forest and Pegasus removed his beloved's blindfold and she scanned their surroundings with anxious, soft blue eyes. They stood on a hill overlooking a shimmering lake surrounded by pine trees, reflecting vast blue mountains tipped with snow.

"It's so beautiful..." Cyndia sighed, smiling when her husband embraced her from behind and relaxing contentedly in his arms. "how did you find it?"

"Cyndia, darling," Pegasus sat down on the grass, soon joined by his wife as he opened his artbook. "I've told it to you at least a thousand times."

"Well, tell it a thousand more," she smiled with a laugh like roses and windchimes. "You'll have to if we ever have children..."

Pegasus sighed, though not really annoyed at all. "All right..." He pulled a small leather bag from his pocket and withdrew a charcoal pencil; tool in hand, he proceeded to draw. "I was...ten?" He touched the back of the pencil to his chin thoughtfully. "Yes, ten! It was the spring after I had met you. I was in the study when I accidently bumped into someone, making them drop a bottle onto my magic circle..."

He paused in his telling as Cyndia wiped away the bit of charcoal residue on her husband's face.

"Needless to say, the result was...somewhat of a bang," he chuckled. "Not wanting to get in trouble for a simple mistake, I ran off and hid in the forest. Eventually I got lost and had to use a guiding spell to help me out of the woods. However, instead of taking me back to castle, I was lead here. I loved this place so much, I left a trailing spell so that i would be able to come back.

"Of course, I wasn't exactly greeted back into the classroom with open arms," Pegasus went on. "But thanks to your father, I was allowed to stay to complete my lessons and two weeks later, I showed this place to you for the first time."

Cyndia leaned against Pegasus' arm, looking at what he had been drawing: it was another one of her sitting in a field of heather, laughing as she put her fingers to a flower that had tangled itself in her hair. "How can you draw so many pretty things when you can't see them?"

"Oh, I _can_ see them," the man replied. "Every time I look at you I see these things..." The lovers smiled and kissed each other again, focusing only on the existance of the other and forgetting about the rest of the world.

However, the moment was interrupted when Pegasus felt a slight tug on the leg of his pants. He looked around before looking down at his shadow, where a black paw held onto his leg with a pair of big yellow eyes looking up at him; the paw was soon joined by a face similiar to that of a cat, but it was obvious it was not normal when it seperated from the man's shadow and wove around his shoulders like a large snake.

This was Pegasus' familiar, a Doppleganger he had found and raised since it was an infant. Normally Dopplegangers were considered dangerous and never to be taken lightly, but the husband of the Queen had a very strange talent for making anyone he met laugh and taming any sort of beast. So the Doppleganger of Lord Pegasus J. Crawford was as playful as a kitten, when no true danger to itself or its master was present.

"What is it?" Pegasus asked. The black, feline-esque creature leaned on its keeper's shoulder and whispered in his ear before hiding behind its large black paws worriedly. "She's looking for us already?" He sighed when the Doppleganger nodded. "Oh well... _Sest la ve_. Thank you; we'll go back to the castle now."

The Doppleganger leaned against its master's shoulder, unwilling to leave, but Cyndia took the time to scratch behind the creature's ears and it purred under the woman's touch. With a little more confidance, it fused again with Pegasus' shadow.

Pegasus sighed again and closed his drawing book, returning his pencil to its bag.

"Rebecca?" Cyndia inquired.

"Rebecca," he nodded.

With some reluctance, Pegasus blindfolded his wife again and they headed back to the castle.

- - -

Located to the North of the White Dragon Kingdom, the Red Dragon Kingdom was a large merchant nation that grew to prominence through trade with another continent. However, its more tasteful features were its scholorly studies and use of a unique Western study usually referred to as Magic.

Not unlike its White Dragon counterpart, the Red Dragon Kingdom prided itself in its incredible use of strange marks and calling upon nature's powers to lend strength to the users. However, much to the opposite of the aforementioned White Kingdom, the Sorcerers and Magicians made efforts to avoid war with neigboring countries.

And to keep such peaceful treaties and trade routes in check, Meetings were held to sort out problems.

"Lord Pegasus...!"

"Yes, Rebecca dear?" The man replied sweetly, making the girl either cringe with discomfort or tremble with sheer rage.

They stood outside the Queen's bedroom and waited as she changed into a more formal gown. Pegasus had also changed into a pair of black pants with a silver-lined, maroon jacket covering a black dress shirt; Rebecca also wore a light blue dress with a white blouse.

Taking a deep breath, the girl took off her glasses and rubbed between her eyes before continuing. "You are aware that in order to have these monthly meetings, Her Royal Highness must be _present_ for them."

"I am," Pegasus nodded, running his hand throught his silver hair nonchalantly and letting it fall back into his face again. "However, I am also aware that Her Majesty is not _needed_ until far into the afternoon, when the Meetings actually begin." He leaned down to be eye level with the young advisor. "Am I mistaken?"

Rebecca glared daggers that would send anyone else to the infirmary, but not Pegasus. It was common knowledge that young Rebecca disliked the Queen's husband, though it was obvious he didn't share the sentiment, and it wasn't just Pegasus' good nature that irked her. She didn't approve of merchants in general, and only a few people knew why.

The doors of Cyndia's room opened and she stepped out wearing a light blue dress with white lace and frills, and her hair was done up in a bun, showing her slender neck.

"Shall we, my dear?" Pegasus offered his arm to his wife, which she accepted and they proceeded down the hall, Rebecca following after. Along the way, they came across Ryou, who quickly bowed and waited until they passed him before stepping beside Rebecca.

"What took you so long!" The girl hissed.

"I'm sorry!" Ryou shrugged. "I told them I had to leave but...the scholars and students wouldn't let me go right away."

At that, Pegasus glanced back, and saw Rebecca's eyes soften as she glanced down at the Queen's flowing skirt. "I'm sorry," she said quietly and then snapped ehr head back up to stand tall and straight. "I'll talk with them later."

"I don't want to trouble you..." the white-haired youth replied.

"It's no trouble at all!" Cyndia replied, slightly surprising everyone that she had been listening. "You are a student of my husband, a member of my personal court, and will forever be like a child to us, Ryou! If the others are bothering you in any way, you must report it to us immediately, is that understood?"

Ryou had turned slightly pink from the Queen's attention as well as her words, and could only nod bashfully.

"Good," Cyndia smiled warmly and continued walking, her husband his apprentice and her advisor in tow and all bearing a comfortable smile.

They soon arrived at the doors of the throne room and the guards pushed them open and announced the arrival of Her Royal Majesty and her personal court. Pegasus led his wife across the room, Ryou and Rebecca in tow, and Cyndia sat down gracefully in her appointed seat with her husband right beside her while the younger two stood on her left.

The troubles within the kingdom's system were discussed and slowly met with peaceful solutions without very much argument. However, as these meetings went incredibly slow, many were found almost falling asleep; even Pegasus had to keep his poise and not give in to the yawns that so desperately wanted escape.

However, Ryou _was not_ blessed with his mentor's control, and Rebecca would cause him some sort of pain--from pinching his arm to stepping on his foot--every time she caught him yawning. Worried for his health, he steadily kept his mouth closed whenever he could. He glanced at his master and found him giving him a sympathetic look.

After the long meeting was over, everyone gathered in the dining hall to eat and talk more freely. Conversations filled the hall, in murmurs and in regular voices, none involving the same topic; from politics to the whether, no one appeared to be in poor spirits.

"I heard that Gozaburo was planning to head for the east," said one man, loud enough for Pegasus to catch. "Toward the Gold regions."

"I doubt that he would make it very far," replied another man. "The desert heat can kill anyone not accustomed to it, and dressed in all that fancy armor would speed it up. Plus I hear the Gold Kingdom's warriors are incredible fighters, they're relentless!"

The first man chuckled. "I suppose you would have to be, to live in such a place!"

Pegasus was familiar with King Gozaburo. He had met him once, when the birth of his thrid son had been celebrated; he was a very powerful man, very dangerous with his 'science.' He too was relentless; if he chose to attack the Gold region, he would do it whether the desert melted his army of steel into liquid or not.

The only way to stop Gozaburo from invading was to kill him; Pegasus wondered why no one had tried that yet.

"And if their resilience to heat couldn't defeat invaders, their loyalty to their king would!" The man went on.

"Yes, I heard that the King wasn't even twenty yet!" Said the other man. "Still a young man! The Gold King won the hearts of his people even before his father passed away."

Pegasus smiled. It was true, the young man ruling over the Gold Dragon Kingdom was not just honored by his subjects, but loved as well. He had never met him, he had never dared to travel to such an unbearable place; so he could only wonder what it was about him that won the hearts of such a strong race of people.

Just then, the sorcerer felt a slight tug at his leg and he looked down into the yellow eyes of his Doppelganger who sat beneath the table. Smiling, he snuck him a small piece of chicken and the creature snatched it and went on exploring the feet of the royal court.

Pegasus was just barely able to catch his pet before it could tie one man's bootlaces together, and as amusing as that would have been, he told him to never try that right after a meeting.

The Doppelganger sulked, but immediately perked up when he caught Ryou's scent and settled its head in his lap to beg for food. Rebecca, having her seat right beside Ryou's, made a face at the creature while her older, white-haired friend 'accidently' dropped a fruit roll into the creature's waiting paws.

Ryou smiled as the Doppelganger lovingly rubbed against his hand, and picked up his small cup of tea. Suddenly, the boy felt a tremor in his core and dropped his cup as pain shot through his head.

He, however, was no the only one who felt the strange vibration. Pegasus was also shaken and gripped the table for support as he gripped his brow to try and hold back the pain. Cyndia noticed his sudden discomfort and put her hand over his, her eyes full of concern as he began sweating and panting.

Pegasus covered his beloved's hand with his other with a small smile of reassurance, but the pain remained where it was. Closing his eyes, he focused in on the pain and only then noticed a strange sound filling the air.

Unsure as to what the sound was, Pegasus opened his eyes and met with a strange surprise; his crystal glass was ringing, as though someone had tapped it. His orange gaze wandered across the table to find all the crystal goblets ringing.

Pegasus took his wife's hands in his own with a smiled. "Cyndia, darling?"

"Yes?"

"Would you mind excusing me for a moment?" He asked.

Queen Cyndia, having been married to Pegasus for more than eight years, knew how to read her husband, and knew for a fact that something was wrong. She then 'accidently' spiled her glass of wine all over her dress, making everyone jump up in surprise.

"Oh, my goodness!" The woman gave an embarassed laugh as she stood up and covered her face with her hands. "I'm so clumsy! I'm so sorry...!" Cyndia winked at her husband from behind her hands, giving him as well as herself the excuse to leave.

Pegasus kissed his wife and motioned for Ryou and Rebecca to join him at the head of the table. The two were with him in seconds and they all walked Cyndia towards her bed chambers, insisting that everyone else continue the meal while she went to change.

When they came to a point to seperate, Pegasus took Ryou with him while Rebecca was to remain at Cyndia's side until he returned. "Don't leave her side for even a second," Pegasus instructed the young girl.

Rebecca crossed her arms in front of her chest indigantly. "As if I would forget my duty as her advisor!"

The silver-haired man smiled and pat her head, which she did not appreciate but didn't push his hand away either. Pegasus then kissed his beloved wife again and both he and Ryou left down the hall to their right while the two maidens continued forward towards the royal living quarters.

Pegasus and Ryou soon entered the garden and stood by the water fountain in the center, whose waters sprayed up in constantly changing shapes.

The night was quiet, but somehow constricting, as though some invisible force was tightening the air.

"I don't like this, Master..." Ryou said, glancing around uneasily.

Pegasus nodded in agreement; something was not right. Anyone with even a little magic would be able to tell, and the two of them had great magic powers.

"I can't find it...!" The man clenched his teeth. "I've tried and tried, but I can't pinpoint it!"

Looking over at his young apprentice Ryou, Pegasus then noticed how much he was sweating and trembling. The young man tended to be uneasy in the presence of others, but always kept his calm whenever in a situation that appeared dire.

"Ryou...?"

Suddenly, the quiet night was shattered when a combination of human scream and a shriek tore through the castle grounds making Pegasus and Ryou look towards the sound. Ryou tore away from his mentor and ran in the direction of the screams as they continued to cry out into the night, Pegasus chasing after him.

Four other guards soon joined them and they together ran towards the north wall. They all grew wary when the screams cut off and Pegasus didn't hesitate to increase his speed. He soon found Ryou standing close to the East wall, behind a series of trees and bushes, which the man had to push his way through.

"Ryou! What-" Pegasus never finished his question, for when he came to his apprentice's side, he found what had made the boy stand completely still, staring in transfixed horror.

A guard lay torn open on the ground, his ribs broken so that whatever it was that had attacked him could pull out his heart and lungs. The rest of the slain man's intestines lay scattered around in various places, but his face remained contorted in agony and fear.

Pegasus and Ryou were soon joined by some other guards who gasped and drew back in horror, some actually gave back what they had eaten for dinner earlier that night.

"What could've done this!"

"He was my bunkmate! He was a great warrior! How could this have happened!"

Ryou stood oblivious to the murmurs of the men, even when one actually made a wary motion to the white-haired boy's back.

Pegasus, however, noticed and stormed over to them. "You have no right in accusing him!" He said darkly. "He was with me when we heard the scream! It was not him!"

The guards nodded to the husband of the Queen, but were obviously still open to the possibility of Ryou having done the deed.

Ryou was also one of magical talent, but being of a rare type of sorcery, he was often rejected and shunned by others of the court. But, as Pegasus had in a way adopted Ryou, the husband of the Queen taught the boy in the art of magic in the place the other teachers refused. His trust and simple caring for Ryou had made him very important in the young man's eyes.

The man turned back to his pupil and put a hand on the boy's shoulder, making him jump with surprise. "Ryou?"

"It wasn't me, sir! I swear-"

"I know, I know it was not you, child," the man soothed. "But…did yo see anything?" Ryou looked back at the slain man and shook his head. Pegasus patted his shoulder before kneeling down, covering the lower half of his face with the back of his hand as he examined the carcass further.

In doing so, he noticed several gashes across the man's face and arms, like claw marks. Further examination revealed a single feather lying on the ground beside the man's head. Picking it up, the man found it was dark blue and felt strange somehow as he glided it between his fingers; it almost felt like human hair...

Rising back up and turning back to his men, Pegasus held it out to Ryou who carefully took it and quirked his eyebrow at its strange texture. "What sort of bird made _this_?"

"There was a time, when I was a boy, I was travelling with my father through the Riole Mountains," Pegasus said. "During that time, some of our men began disappearing during the night. We eventually found them in a condition similar to this one…" he motioned back over his shoulder at the carcass. "After that, we stayed awake at night, afraid to sleep, afraid that we might wake up dead. Two days, we went without sleep…My father was able to save the rest of us by singing lullabies and reading poetry when we went to sleep, and no more of us vanished.

"When we finally managed to reach the end of the mountains, we were met by a horde of Harpies. They didn't attack, though one did talk with my father for a long while before they left us. When I asked my father about it later, he told me that the Queen of the Mountains wanted to commend him for having cheated her out of a few good meals." The man smiled, though there was no amusement in his eyes. "Did you know that when a Harpy captures a human's heart, they eat it and the person's lungs so that they can sing even sweeter calls?"

Ryou stared in amazement and shock. "Harpies? But…since when have any dwelled near the cities?" He asked. "I've never seen _one_."

"They don't live anywhere near us," Pegasus replied. "They're mainly a desert-dwelling race, so it really doesn't make sense for any to be here now, unless someone brought them here…"

"An assassination attempt?" Ryou suggested.

"I'm not sure, but even so…" he turned back to the guards; many more had joined them during his tale. "Send a dozen--No, have _two_ dozen men to protect the Queen's quarters, send everyone else to search the palace grounds. If you find anything, do not attack, just blow a horn to signal where you are."

The guards bowed in response and left to carry out their orders, leaving Pegasus and Ryou to continue their own work.

They wandered until they found the stairway leading up to the top of the wall and they continued their search. They didn't have long to search, however, when the clouds covering the moon shifted to allow some light through and illuminate the blood of the various guards lying dead at their posts.

Pegasus called up a light spell and fell to one knee to examine the bodies, not the leaset bit surrpise to find them in the same condition as the one they had found in the garden below. He saw a movement in the dark and looked up, sheilding his eyes from the light of his spell as he held it out.

The light caught the attention of the woman as she finished eating her victim's heart and she looked up. Blood covered her strange, white-blue skin and her long scarlet hair went all the way down to her knees; her big yellow eyes narrowed at the light and she hissed, revealing her incredibly sharp teeth. She then shot into the air revealing her hands and feet to look like those of a bird of prey and black-blue feathers lined her arms, making wings.

"Harpy!" Ryou exclaimed.

The lady-beast let out a shriek and dove for them. However, Pegasus made the sign for fire and protection and the Harpy hit a barrier of flame before she could touch them. She quickly drew back, burned, but still alive, and shrieked as she turned and flew away.

Pegasus' pupil sighed with relief, putting his hand to heart to make sure it was still there. "You beat it, Master!"

"Harpies usually hunt in threes, Ryou," the man said as he turned and started back the way he had come. "There are still two more out there!"

Realizing the severity of his mentor's words, Ryou's eyes widened and he followed after him. "Master Pegasus! You mention before the possibility that someone may have brought these things here!"

"Yes, that's correct!"

Ryou broke into a run. "If so, we have to get to Queen Cyndia NOW!"

Without inquiring what had suddenly made the boy so frantic, Pegasus went at top speed, catching up with the boy and they headed back towards his room. While he ran, the man felt his hair stand on end and he looked up to find the night sky blackening with clouds that had not been there before.

- - -

Cyndia sat by her dressing table in her blue nightgown and robe as she brushed through her hair. Rebecca stood at her post by the door, watching the Queen deligantly and without fail.

Just then, the young girl heard a series of armored footsteps outside the door and carefully opened it to see at least two dozen guards positioning themselves in the hall.

"Rebecca...?"

At her Queen's inquiring voice, the girl looked back and found she had paused in her nightly ritual. Rebecca closed the door and returned to her post. "Several guards have taken position outide your door, Your Majesty," she replied. "No doubt sent by Master Pegasus."

Cyndia smiled with relief and placed her brush down on the dressing table before standing up to head for bed. However, the Queen and her advisor were thrown off when the wall with all the windows blew out and Cyndia hit the floor while Rebecca was thrown agaisnt the wall, both attempting to shield themselves from flying glass and debris. A large rock hit the woman's left leg, making her scream with agony as it broke.

Looking back up, Cyndia was shocked to find two Harpies on either side of the newly formed hole; the first had blue hair that shot back as though she waas running, while the other had short orange hair , whose bangs gathered on the right side of her face.

But between the two of them stood a woman. Her long, blonde hair blew in the night wind that rushed into the room and her violet eyes cut through the dark. She wore shorts and an overshirt that matched her eyes and a black bodice, fingerless gloved that went up past her elbows and boots that went up past her knees.

"Who…Who are you!" Rebecca asked as she struggled to rise at the other end of the room.

The woman seemed the think about it a moment.

"Some call me the Harpy Keeper," she replied, brushing her hand across the orange-haired Harpy's cheek and pat the blue-haired one on the head; both creatures leaned into the woman's touch with a smile. "But my given name is Kujaku Mai, or Mai Kujaku depending on where you're from."

Cyndia managed to sit up, using the bed for support. "What-what do you want...?"

Before Mai could answer, the doors burst open and the guards barged in. "Highness!"

The intruder sighed, running her hand back through her hair. "This is room is too small for so many people," she grumbled and nodded to her two Harpies. "Go eat, girls." In seconds the Harpies were on the guards, tearing at their flesh and ripping open their chests to reach what they always sought for food.

Cyndia screamed as some of her long-time protectors were slaughtered right in front of her and she buried her face in the covers of her bed. Rebecca was quickly at her side, as the Harpies had flown past her entirely and stood between the Queen and the Harpy Keeper.

"Don't take this too personally, hun," Mai said, making the queen look back up, her face soaked with tears. "I myself don't have anything against you, but you have something we need, so--"

A ball of fire shot past the intruder, making her cut off as she moved to the side to avoid getting burned. Her violet gaze shot back to the small girl standing between her and she found Rebecca still holding her hands out from her attack.

"Well, I sure didn't see that coming," she whistled.

"Your birds are busy, so you'll have to fight me yourself!" The girl said, already gathering another fireball in her hands. In truth, all Rebecca knew was the basic fireball, and she hoped that she could get by if she was fighting Mai.

However, the woman brushed her hair back over her shoulder without an air of worry. "You look smart, but you obviously don't know much about Harpies..."

Rebecca took on a cautious stance at that.

"Harpies hunt in _threes_..."

Suddenly, a blue and red blue shot into the room from the hole in the wall and Rebecca was thrown against the wall again. This time however, the burned, scarlet-haired Harpy wrapped her clawed hand around the girl's throat and held her there. The beast-lady looked back at her keeper with a breath of disappointment.

"You don't have to eat her, just keep her out of the way," Mai said and returned her attention to the injured Queen as she started toward her.

Cyndia drew back as she noticed the strange crystal around Mai's neck began to glow, as did the one embedded in the palm of her right glove as she reache dout her hand. Looking back into the young woman's face, the Queen saw a strange mark form on Mai's brow as she came closer.

"PEGASUS!"

- - -

The silver-haired man felt a jolt inside his chest and drew on some unknown force to increase his speed, leaving Ryou far behind him. _Cyndia! Be okay! Please, be okay!_

When he came to his room he found many guards slain and others still fighting the two Harpies he had known would be somewhere in the castle. He didn't hesitate to use a spell to shield the men from the Harpies' powers as well as their talons and then called upon a water spell to render the creatures' wings useless.

Pushing and shoving his way past the crowd and the two Harpies, Pegasus made it to his room where he saw his wife being held down on the floor by an unknown woman, both of them surrounded by a strange, green-blue light.

"CYNDIA!" He ran at them, but was blocked by the barrier the strange array on the floor made. He bounced back as pain flooded through his body, but she didn't let himself fall to the floor and ran back again, this time using a spell to try and break through the barrier.

The woman was obviously weakening, but she used what remained of her strength to look back at her husband.

It was a well-known fact that Queen Cyndia had some form of magic, but she rarely ever used it; right now she did. She sent out a memory that she and Pegasus shared and would keep for all time.

_The two children met in the crowd of people._

_The little girl smiled warmly at the boy in front of her, but he could do little more than blush furiously under her attention. He eventually got the courage to offer his hand and the two danced, not as gracefully as the adults that surrounded them, but they still had fun._

_Twirling and spinning amidst the light and music, the two children didn't realize they were out of control until they rammed into someone. They looked up into the dark face and deep blue eyes of the stranger and apologized profusely._

_But the man simply nodded and ushered them back to the dance floor where they continued to enjoy themselves throughout the rest of the party._

With that image, tears filled Pegasus' eyes and he pushed harder against the barrier.

Mai jerked when she heard a cracking sound and looked back at the man to find the area in which he was attacking was indeed breaking. _But…HOW!_

The young woman felt the Queen go completely limp and let her go just as Pegasus broke through. However, the Harpy that had been holding Rebecca back jumped between him and her Keeper, slashing the man in his left eye, and sending him to the floor as he covered his face with a scream.

Her Harpies finally finished shaking themselves dry and flew out the hole they had made earlier. Mai glanced at her glove, finding the stone still glowing, which revealed that she had completed her task. With a final glance back at Cyndia and Pegasus, Mai dashed for the hole.

She was stopped, however, when a blast of black and red energy hit her in the back and she fell forward, coughing as she tried to get air back in her lungs. Looking back towards the doors, she saw Ryou, his hands still out from having thrown his attack.

"Who are you!" The snowy-haired youth demanded.

Mai lay gasping for air, unable to even try to answer. This night had proven to have more surprises and obstacles than she had originally counted on. But it was that moment that her three Harpies returned to outside the hole in the wall with a red dragon with a collar and chain dangling from around its neck. The three didn't hesitate in diving back inside to grab their keeper and placing her on the back of the dragon; she smiled at them gratefully.

Ryou dashed after them, seeing them heading off towards the East. His hair rose as he called up for another attack.

"Ryou…!"

At his master's voice, the boy stopped and looked back into the room. "Master! Are you-"

"Cyndia…?"

The white-haired youth dashed to the woman's side and was relieved to find her still breathing, but something about the Queen made him nervous. He was uncertain what it was exactly, but it felt as though something was missing.

"Ryou…" Pegasus sat up, wincing slightly as blood trailed between his fingers. "Bring her here…"

Ryou gently took the woman in his arms and carried her to his master.

Once there, Pegasus took his wife and laid her across his lap. Upon touching her, he too felt that strange feeling of absence and it brought him to tears. He held Cyndia close as he cried into her shoulder.

- - -

- - -

**(Cat-eared author blows her nose loudly)** Oh, I'm terrible to Pegasus in his first chapter! However, I _am_ happy I finally finished rewriting **Chapter Three**, it took forever.

**(Opens her fan to reveal the _Kanji_ for Luck)**

Next, Chapter Four: Kingdom of the Gold Dragon! Malik, lastborn of the Tombkeepers must fight alongside his King, Atem against the intruder Varon!

Don't miss it, it's the second to last introductory chapter.


	5. Kingdom of the Gold Dragon

**(Cat-earred author sits in her regular purple kimono as she fiddles with a State Alchemist Pocketwatch. Upon noticing the approaching readers, she quickly hides it.)**

It's been a while, min'na-san! **(bows)**

Now, steady readers of Dragon Kings, prepare to be amazed!

For this Chapter will NOT be like the others!

How, you ask?

**(Flips open her fan, revealing the kanji for 'secret')**

Read and find out!

- - -

- - -

**Chapter Four: Kingdom of the Gold Dragon...**

Among the vast sad dunes the figure sat by his horse as it pawed at the fine ground. His torn cloak lifted up as it caught a breeze and he gazed up at the intense blue sky, his dark amethyst-colored eyes glowing from under the shade of his hood as he squinted at the slight burn of the azure sky.

A rumble in the ground made the horse bring its head up and perk his ears to listen, and its rider brought his gaze back down to the ground he was so familiar with. A moment of silence passed before dozens of creatures that looked much like the sea-dwelling creatures called mantarays burst from the dunes and flew by him, continuing their trip West as they always did this time of the year.

These creatures, Sand Mantas as the people of the deserts called them, were well over the size of a house, and were known to become ten times bigger as they progressed through life. They had teeth as sharp of swords that could grind bones into powder, and not many people were inclined to try fighting them.

This was what he had been waiting for.

With a smile, the cloaked youth mounted his horse and headed directly towards the herd of flying creatures. He started off in a trot but gradually quickened his pace into a full run until he leapt into the air.

His horse landed on the back of one Sand Manta, running along it until it came time to jump to another. He went on like this for five more turns and leapt off to land on the ground, just barely missing the crushing jaws of one of the creatures.

When he landed on the sand again, his horse seemed ready to collapse, but went on running back home. The increase in speed brought a gust of wind up and the hood of the riders cloak flew off to reveal the youth's grinning face.

He appeared to be around seventeen; his skin was rich brown, his hair was champaign-blond and went down just past his shoulders in unruly locks. Around his neck he wore three gold bands, similar armbands and gauntlets, and gold arrowheads dangled from his ears.

Filled with excitement as he continued to ride into the desert, the youth spread his arms and flung his head back, howling to the sun.

His name was Malik Ishtar, and he was the lastborn of the Tombkeepers.

After many long hours of riding through the day, Malik returned to the desert kingdom of the Gold Dragon. It was a grand city of white stone, though it constantly looked like gold due to the sand surrounding and reflecting off it. The city spread for out for many miles, but most of it was the wall surrounding the palace.

The main gate was lined by six perching dragons on either side of the road to the gate, and two large stone figures stood on either side of the gate doors. The gate was opened for Malik and he slowly rode his horse into the palace grounds.

The palace itself was in the very center, surrounded by various other buildings for priests, guards, servants and any other residents of the palace.

Malik rode to the stables, which lay at the far end of the palace grounds, and rid his horse of its saddle bridle before leaving the stableboys to tend to his needs. From his faded, hooded yellow shirt and sandy-colored pants with pockets leading down his legs, one would never expect him to be a resident of such royal apartments; however, as his older sister was of a surprisingly high position, Malik was treated well.

The youth made his way around the palace and entered the gardens and his senses were filled with sight, sound and smells of the exotic flowers, trees and the small spring bubbling in the very center. Malik rid himself of his cloak, shaking it and bringing up a cloud of sand, but he went on smiling, even as he brushed more sand from his hair.

"Master Malik!"

At his name, he turned his amethyst gaze towards the path to his left to find his friend and adopted older brother hurrying toward him. The man appeared to be in his early twenties; he had the same richly dark skin as Malik, however the left side of his face was tatooed with desert symbols with hidden meanings. His head was mostly shaved and the black hair that remained was gathered into a tail at the back of his head, and his eyes were goldish brown and resembled those of a hawk.

"Rishid!" Malik smiled and met his companion half-way. "I'm sorry I'm late, I lost track of how far I was going. But I found a herd of Sand Mantas on the way back!"

The man called Rishid sighed. "I would be happy for you, but the Lady Isis...noticed your absence."

At this, Malik hissed, as though he had been burned. "Well...that's, uh..." He chuckled nervously and scratched his head thoughtfully. After a few moments, he smiled with an idea. "I know! I can tell her I was wandering around the outer wall and..."

The boy trailed off as he noticed Rishid was looking past him, his hawk-like gaze wide and worried. Malik went rigid and began sweating nervously as he finally acknowledged the presence behind him; he could practically feel the eyes scorching the back of his head and hesitated in turning around.

However, he took a deep breath and slowly met the woman's soft blue gaze. The eyes were placed within a dark face framed by black hair, some braided by gold bands that hung in front of her ears. She wore a pure white, sleeveless dress with a gold headdress, bangles, armbands and a necklace bearing the eye of Horus around her neck.

"Isi--"

Malik was cut off when the woman's hand connected with her younger brother's cheek in a blur of gold and the sound of lightning mixed with the soft ringing of her braclets.

Isis was the only preistess among the Pharoah's High Court, and the youngest member as well. However, despite her delicate countenance, Isis was like a cobra when angered.

And at present, she was very angry.

"A day and a half you were gone," she said darkly, "and you were hoping 'wandering by the wall' would have made up for that!"

Malik covered his reddening cheek with his own hand. "Well, it was worth a try," he murmured.

Isis sighed, her fury and wrath ebbing away at her brother's lack of retaliation. "Malik..." She took the youth into her arms and held him tightly. "What am I supposed to do with you? What can I do to make you happy? You're running away from even _me _now..."

Malik looked over his sister's shoulder sadly and returned the embrace. "I'm not..."

- - -

In the throne room of the palace the Pharaoh Atem sat on the dais watching as the dancers spun and twirled, bells and bracelets ringing in time with the music.

Anyone who visited the Black Dragon Kingdom far, far to the west and then came to the Gold Dragon regions would have had to admit to finding some similarities between the prince of the western forests and the king of the desert. Both were somewhat short, and had the same spikey black hair rimmed with red, gold bangs--some of the gold bangs actually went up--however there were enough differences between the two to say they were not the same person.

Atem, though just as small as prince Yuugi, carried himself in a way that made him appear taller; his skin was the usual dark of the desert-dwelling people, his eyes were finely shaped and the color of the rarest rubies. He wore white robes that went down to his knees with a pale blue loin cloth and a rich violet cape; his anklets, bracelets, rings, armbands, choker and earrings were carved with the same beautiful waves of craftsmanship, but the true beauty lay in the young ruler's crown.

On his brow was a golden crown with the Eye of Horus in the center and wing-like blades that reached out into his hair. This crown had been worn by a thousand Pharoahs before him, and he expected it to be worn by a thousand more after him.

Or at least...he prayed that was how life would go on.

For some time now his people had been meeting with opposition from soldiers of foreign birth, and these intruders continued to attack whoever they came across using strange powers that uprooted the ground and made weapons from the very rocks. However, those soldiers were a safe distance from the kingdom as of yet, and he had positioned patrolmen to watch the approaching army and report any activities. During this time, Atem's people had done well to stay within the city walls.

Save for one.

Atem smiled as he recalled High Priestess Isis' raged pacing all through the night at the knowledge of her brother's absence. That boy was a free spirit, and although he did cause some problems the Pharoah found no severety in them. Malik had not gone against the old teachings, nor had he attempted to destroy anything.

The others among the high court had never really approved of the Priestess' brother's presence much less his constant unexcused absences, but the previous Pharoah would hear none of it and welcomed the boy with open arms. Thus, Atem felt obligated to continue to offer guidance and safety to Malik in his father's stead. However, the boy often escaped even the Pharoah's watchful gaze to wander in the desert looking for whatever there was to see.

Such activities were punished, but Atem kept them from being too severe...

- - -

For his most recent absence, Malik was to help the shrine maidens in the temples.

He never really liked it, but the maidens were sweet and didn't tease him anymore. He wasn't sure if it was because they had come to some sort friendship, or because he had grown into such a handsome young man and they wanted to catch his eye.

However, during his punishments in the temples, his eyes were always on the priests and anyone else who came to study the art of shamanism.

Unlike the Red Dragon Kingdom who studied magic as a defense, and those of the White Dragon Kingdom who used the science of Alchemy as a benefit, the Shamanism of the Gold Dragon Kingdom was a part of their religious duties. However, _like _the White and Red Kingdoms only a select few were able to use such abilities, and those people were only the ones who were allowed access to the ancient texts.

And those people were the priests and members of the royal family.

But that never stopped Malik, but then, if even the Pharoah couldn't, who could? While working, the boy would occaisionally 'glance' at materials he was to put away and 'accidently' copy a few directions. Of course, his sister had no knowledge of his activities, or if she did, she never did anything to stop him--so that left him to believe she _didn't _know.

That was one of the reasons he escaped from the city as often as he could, to practice communicating with the dead, integrating them with his body and even using attacks from the spirit plane. Though his sister was a High Priestess, she would not be able to defend him from the wrath of the other priests for such a crime, and he was uncertain if the Pharoah would even try. Knowledge of the astral powers were strictly for those of incredibly high positions, even Isis had only seen one of them and for only a brief time.

Malik was convinced it was because Isis was the only High Priestess and a prodigy that the other priests had kept such knowledge from her, but to state his accusation could possibly mean his death and his sister's loss of status as Priestess. He didn't care much for his own life--he didn't feel he was worth that much--but for his sister's sake he would keep silent for as long as it was necessary.

He doubted she would understand why he wanted to learn such things...

"Malik."

At his name, the youth turned to face Kalim, one of the Priests which served alongside his sister, the one who held the golden scales used in sentencing criminals and lost souls. Malik made a point in avoiding any of the priests, but if he had to meet any--especially in the temple--the last would be Kalim.

"There is something I must discuss with you," the priest motioned for the boy to follow, and not about to argue, he did so. "I have been watching you for some time, Malik, and I am well aware of your investigating of the scrolls." Malik held his breath; he figured that he would be found out eventually, but he had hoped it would have been by his sister and not so soon.

"To communicate with the dead is a very dangerous activity," Kalim said as they came to a halt in the gardens. "Those who have done so without proper knowledge of the spirits have lost their salvation and sanity. There was one such man who learned of the power to see the spirit plane, to call forth the dead, who desperately wanted to see the family that had been killed. He succeeded in finding his family and integrating them with his body..."

"But he made the mistake of attempting this with more than one soul," he went on. "This allowed several hundred other spirits to enter his body as well." At this, Kalim looked at Malik gravely. "That man was a Ardeshen, Pharoah of the fifth dynasty."

Malik had heard stories of the Pharoah Ardeshen, driven mad from his desperation to keep his family in a world no longer meant for them.

"If such powers could crush a man with power over heaven and earth, they could very well kill a boy like you a thousand times over," Kalim said. "So I offer my only warning: do not meddle with knowledge not meant for you." The priest walked past Malik back towards the temple.

"High Preist Kalim...?"

The man stopped and looked back at the boy; Malik did not turn to face him.

"When a man is killed, the murderer is condemned to purgatory," Malik said. "But...if he didn't know _how _he killed that person..." The memory of awakening covered in blood resurfaced, but he pushed it back and continued. "Wouldn't the risk of madness be worth it to at least ask for forgiveness, or an explanation?"

Kalim did not reply as he turned away and continued walking. After so long of weighing hearts according to their crimes, he had forgotten the meaning of forgiveness...

Malik clenched his fists, managing to break the skin and draw blood.

Why could no one answer his questions? Why did everyone always remain silent?

Perhaps it was because they had no answer to give him, or possibly they didn't feel he deserved an answer.

That was why he felt he had to learn the secrets of Shamanism, why he had to speak with one who had passed on, why he had to defy the rules set by the high priests. And that was why he would continue to study, whether Kalim revealed his work to the Pharoah or not.

Malik refused to stop when he had barely scratched the surface, when he had only recently started to show some progress in his studies.

...When he had yet to reach his father on the other side of the river.

Isis stood behind a nearby fruit tree, watching in silence. Her eyes saddened, but she knew she could do nothing for him; he had been drifted form her reach since...the 'incident.' He had been trying all this time to make amends, but never found anything that could fill the void of pain he had created with his own two hands.

Turning away from the scene, the Priestess headed back towards the temple.

- - -

Malik sat in his room as Rishid bandaged his hands.

"How did you say this happened?" The man asked.

"Oh, I just...picked something up and it cut me a bit," Malik lied, and he knew Rishid could tell it was a lie. With a simple stare from his friend, the boy sighed. "I got upset...with Priest Kalim, and myself..."

Rishid nodded. "I understand, Master Malik." The man stood up, gathering the healing supplies and heading for the door. "The clothes the Pharoah requested for you are over there," he said, pointing to the partition at the end of the room. "Whenever you're ready."

The boy nodded as Rishid closed the door behind himself, and proceeded to remove his current attire. As he did so, he slowly, hesitantly reached one hand over his shoulder and just barely touched the edge of the patterned scar on his back.

_...The boy lay on his stomach, his bare back exposed to the hooded man as he drew his knife._

_The child pulled fruitlessly at the ropes binding his wrists, keeping him defenseless. Tears poured down his already wet cheeks as he saw the firelight flash against the blade and in the hooded man's eyes._

_"No!" The boy cried as he continued to struggle against his bindings, making his wrists burn and bleed. "Stop! Don't!"_

_The man regarded the pleas as if the boy had not spoken at all. He placed his hand on the child's head, more to steady than comfort him._

_"Please...!" The boy begged, closing his eyes tightly. "Father...! Don't do this...!"_

_Without a word, the man brought the knife down and proceeded to carve into his son's back..._

"Malik."

At his name, snapped the youth out of his memory and he peeked out from behind the partition to find the Pharoah Atem standing on the other side. Malik quickly pulled on the shirt Rishid had set out for him and bowed. "My Lord Pharoah."

Atem looked at the youth, his ruby eyes full of concern. "Are you alright? I heard you injured your hands earlier."

Malik forced a smiled and held up his bandaged hands. "It's nothing," he replied. "Just a small cut or two." He then, without realizing it, reached back over his shoulder and again touched the edge of the scars.

The Pharoah caught this and his gaze saddened. He knew of Malik's other wounds; it pained him to know that such agonies had been inflicted on him when he was still but a child. However, along with his sadness and pity, Atem had also been intrigued by the ornate markings. And for this reason, Atem managed to smile. "Malik..."

The young man turned his attention to his king.

"There is something I found that I believe might interest you," he said. "Could you come to the riverside temple after the feast?"

Malik blinked, then nodded quickly. "Of course, my lord."

"Well then!" Atem smiled and turned to head towards the doors. "Finish dressing and hurry to the banquet hall. After today's chores and those of tomorrow, I expect you will be wanting something to keep your strength up."

Malik managed a genuine smile as he watched the Pharoah leave, and proceeded to pull on the rest of his garments.

- - -

The hall was filled with light, music, and dancers as everyone sat on the cushions that lined the room. Malik sat with his sister and Rishid, watching the dancers and musicians.

However, he could not relax completely; he could feel the disapproving gazes of the other preists sitting across the way. He had many urges to make faces and gestures at them, but held himself back for his sister's sake. He hated the preists, every one of them, greatly; if he didn't have to worry about damaging his sister's position as preistess, he would have pulled a couple of things by now.

"Malik." The boy's amethyst gaze shot to his sister. "You look very nice tonight," the woman smiled.

He nodded and smiled gently.

The hall was suddenly interrupted when one of Atem's patrolmen came running in and fell to his knees at the steps of the dais. "Lord Pharoah! Urgent news!"

"Speak," Atem nodded.

"The foreign troops invading, they pulled out!" The banquet hall was filled with gasps and murmurs. "Someone, I believe to be a messenger, rode into their camp and they immediately pulled out!"

Atem thought a moment in silence. He called his attendant Siamun over and whispered something to him; the old man nodded and rushed away. The Pharoah then looked back at the man. "Very good," he nodded. "You should rest, then return to the lookout tomorrow and tell the rest of the men to return as well."

The feast was finished quickly after that.

- - -

After changing into regular attire, Isis went her brother's room. However, she was surpriesed to find only Rishid there.

"Rishid, where is Malik?"

"Master Malik said he was to meet with the Pharoah after the feast," the man replied as he finished folding Malik's banquet clothes. "He said he would be at the riverside temple perhaps until late."

Isis' eyes widened, then saddened. "Rishid...the sun has been down for hours..."

The hawk-eyed man nodded solemnly. "I am aware of that, as is Master Malik, I am sure."

The priestess sighed and looked out the window of her younger brother's room that faced the East. _'Malik...'_

Suddenly, her _tauk _began to glow gold and she clasped it in her hand...

_Green light._

_Gold light._

_A gold dragon._

Her eyes snapped open and she turend to Rishid. "We must assmble the Priests!" She said. "I sense a forboding presence in the near future! We must protect the Pharoah!"

- - -

Malik stood in the doorway leading out into the courtyard, at the very edge of the light the torches cast on the ground. He could see the temple the Pharoah waited in rather clearly, the torches lighting the way.

But even so, he hesitated in stepping out of the direct light of the torches and into the shadows of night.

Truth be told, Malik Ishtar was terrified of the dark. Many bore such fears of the darkness as children and eventually grew out of them.

It was not the same for Malik, one who was raised more than half his life in the darkness of the underground. For him, even falling asleep was frightening, because there was always the fear of waking up covered in the blood of someone he loved again.

The moon came out from behind the clouds, bathing the courtyard in silvery light, and Malik made a mad dash for the temple. Noticing more clouds beginning to cover the moon, he pushed himself harder, clamping his eyes shut to avoid seeing the monster he feared and hated chasing after him.

Malik tripped when his feet met the stairs and he fell into the protective beam of torchlight and he lay there for a few moments breathing. When he finally caught himself, he pushed himself up, dusted himself off and proceeded into the temple.

Dedicated to the river gods, the statues that lined the halls bore features of water dwelling animals and spirits. Malik was used to these gruesome, honorable figures after so many visits with his sister to pay homage to them over the past four years. Spotting light shining from an open room Malik recognized as a scroll room, he went inside and found Atem sitting at one of the desks reading a scroll he had laid out.

"Pharoah Atem."

The young king turned and smiled. "Ah, good! I was worried someone had caught you as a theif."

Malik realized that he must have taken too long in arriving and bowed. "I apologize for being late, master."

Atem waved his hand. "It's alright." He stood up and motioned for the youth to sit. "Here; this is what I wanted to show you."

Before Malik could even take half a step, an unfamiliar voice cut through the dark of the room. "_That _is going to have to wait, pal."

Malik and Atem both jumped to attention, their strange eyes shooting towards the speaker who stood in the shadows of the corner. With the help of the torchlight, Malik was able to make out that the stranger was obviously foreign with his pale skin, but was only barely nineteen at the most; his hair was a chestnut-brown color and went out in various spikes, his bangs held down by a pair of goggles just above his slate-blue eyes. He wore a sleeveless, faded red shirt with various metal buttons and a couple belts, some holding his shoulder guards in place; gauntlets went up just past his elbows and he wore dark blue pants and dusty brown-red boots. Malik was able to catch sight of a strange blue-green stone embedded in a ring on the stranger's right hand.

"Identify yourself," Atem commanded.

The young man grinned, displaying perfect white teeth. "Valon." He then reached behind him and in a second ran at Atem with a short sword in hand.

Luckily, the Pharoah also drew the sword he always kept with him and blocked the blow. However, the intruder, Valon, was smiling; he was actually smiling as if nothing was wrong! Atem couldn't understand how his opponent could appear so calm, but didn't have much time to ponder on it before Malik jumped into the fray and Valon just barely blocked the youth's sword with the gauntlet on his left arm.

Though he was caught off guard, Valon's smile quickly returned. "Well, this is just a tad bit unfair, idn't it?" He then pushed Malik's blade away and quickly drew a second short sword to block another strike.

"Pharoah! Malik!" Echoed a series of voices, making the two dark-skinned youths glance over their shoulders towards the door.

Valon took their distraction as an opportunity, kicking Malik in the stomach and grabbing Atem by the throat held him against a bookcase. The sandy-haired youth quickly recovered from the blow, and jumping back up, he struck Valon's arm directly. But his amethyst eyes widened in shock when he realized his blade had not drawn a single drop of blood; Malik's blade liquified in his hands and wrapped around Valon's arm, forming the left arm of a suit of armor.

Not allowing him any time to recover from, Valon promptly backhanded Malik, then kicked him out the door where he collided with Rishid and they both slammed into the wall.

Looking back at Atem, Valon grinned. "Cool trick, huh?"

"Are you...in league with the army that pulled out this morning?" The Pharoah rasped.

"Ah, Hell no!" Valon chuckled. "I'm against them too. But everyone else was taken so I had to grab you."

It was then that Atem noticed a strange breeze rustling Valon's hair and he looked down towards a blue-green glow to find a strange circle had surrouned them. Looking back up, the Pharoah could see the same circle glowing beneath his attacker's bangs. He found it strange that everything suddenly seemed so blurry and he realized his strength was beginning to fade as well.

"That's it," the youth smiled. "Take it easy. Let it go."

Malik managed to get back up mostly unharmed, since Rishid had taken most of the impact with the wall and passed out. He looked from his friend back into the room where he saw Atem and Valon standing within a strange glow, the Pharoah obviously losing strength. With only a second's hesitation, Malik sat up.

"Guardians of the Forgotten Gate, I call upon thee to break the will of the oppressor before me!" A blast of white energy shot from Malik's hands and he was thrown back against the wall again from the recoil.

Valon felt the ground shake and looked at the place Malik's attack had hit, his slate-blue eyes widening when he saw cracks on the barrier. "The fuck--!"

It took a moment for Malik to reorient himself, and although he was disappointed to find Valon still standing, he quickly noticed the cracks. Taking Rishid's sword from its scabbard, he ran back into the room and began beating against the barrier of light. His bones shook with each blow he landed and his nerves burned, but he didn't stop, even when his sword began to crack.

"Pharoah! Lord Atem!" He called. "Don't give up! Fight!"

Atem's hand twitched as he was pulled back from sleep a slight ways. Despite his failing vision, he could see Malik clearly; it was as if he was glowing, and he appeared different somehow. He quickly diverted his attention from the young man and grabbed Valon's shielded left arm; before the attacker could get over his second shock of the night, he felt the metal he had shaped from Malik's sword shatter.

The shards of metal bounced around the inside of the barrier and increased the cracks; as much as a gain this was, Atem found himself exhausted of energy and he fell into darkness.

Valon dropped the Pharoah and clutched his injured arm. But taking a quick glance at the jewel embedded in his right glove and seeing the faint gold glow within it, he smirked and lowered the barrier. He just barely missed a strike from Malik, and ran past him, retreiving his swords from the place he had dropped them; he quickly liquified the two blades, forming gauntlets and punched his way through the wall of the room.

Malik started to chase after him, but stopped to check on his Pharoah. He was breathing and otherwise unharmed, but Malik could sense something was not right; using a small spell, he was horrified to realize that, while Atem was alive, the shell of his body was empty. His soul was gone.

A groan snagged Malik's attention and he found Rishid hobbling into the room. "Master Malik...!"

"Rishid! Tend to Atem!" Malik said as he dashed after Valon.

"Malik--" Rishid watched as his charge since youth dashed out of the hole the intruder had made. He would have given chase as well, but knelt beside his fallen King and kept watch over him until Isis and the other Priests arrived.

- - -

Valon finally broke through to the outside and jumped down the the sandy ground. Shaping his guantlets back into swords, he sheathed them and pulled a whistle from his pocket. Blowing it, he waited just a moment before he saw a great eagle swoop down from behind the clouds and land a couple yards from him.

"Hey, buddy!" He pat the bird's beak before hopping onto its back. "Alrighty! Let's go!" The eagle spread its wings and started off.

"**STOP!**"

Valon just barely acknowledged the voice before felt Malik's arms around his neck, choking him. The desertborn youth grabbed his right arm, seeing the jewel embedded in the palm of his glove and went for it. He managed to rip it from its place, but Valon quickly fought back for it.

The two struggled for possession of the stone, making the great bird they rode on very upset and it began to shake the fray from its back. The combined force of the eagle shook the stone from both youths' grasp and they watched in horror as the object containing the Pharoah's soul plumetted down to the desert below.

The blue-green stone connected with the gound just beside the riverbank and shattered.

A flash of green and gold light exploded and sent a wave of air up; the shape of a gold bird shot past the bird and the two youths on its back. First the two were blinded, but then they were thrown from the eagle's back due to the force of the departing light. It was only then that Malik realized just how high up the great bird had flown since he had jumped on and he for the first time feared the force he had defied on his horse for so long as the wind whipped through his hair and clothes.

Valon also struggled as he fell, but couldn't find his winged mount as he spun around. However, any thoughts of death quickly fled before they could even take root when he saw a familiar blur of sunshine-blond hair and a pair of pure white wings. He reached out and grabbed Rafael's hand, immediately halting in his descent.

"Took you long enough!" The spiky-haired youth breathed with a weak smile directed up at his friend and comrade.

"I did offer to go with you," Rafael said calmly as he flew back towards the riderless eagle. "If you had waited, you probably wouldn't be in this situation right now."

"Shut it." Valon looked off in the direction the bird of gold light had shot off in forlornly. "I'm screwed aren't I?" He asked his winged friend.

Rafael placed him back onto the back of his eagle. "Possibly."

Malik meanwhile continued to fall. His amethyst eyes were so wide it was painful at the sight of the winged man as he and Valon flew away. This was all too much, too fast. Soul Theives, winged men, and that bird of gold light.

Where was Atem?

The gold bird filled his thoughts once more before he hit the water.

- - -

- - -

So, was that different enough?

I'm sure you have a couple questions now. Like, "Where did Atem go?" and, "Is Malik dead?"

Well, you'll find out soon enough, but for now a little note or two.

First off, Valon's metal shaping thingie. In the anime, his main card is that battle suit which he would occaisionally use one or two parts from. I tried to find a way to include that like I did with Mai's Harpies and Pegasus' Doppelganger, so I figured, "Make him like Musica from 'Rave Master' and let him shape metal however he likes!" So I did.

Next, Rafael wings. I'm actually not going to go into too much detail on that because it's a plot point, but I'll just say I loved all those shots when he had wings in the anime and wanted to include that. Iatos will also be included in time. Ganbare!

Well, 'til next time, _min'na-san_!


	6. Four Swordsmen

**(Cat-eared author sips milk from a teacup)**

Ohayo, min'na-san! **(bows)**

A quick update! Be amazed! This is my quickest one next to when I first started and posted the prologue and Chapter One at the same time.

Anywho… **(flips open fan showing the kanji for 'heart')**

I was so happy to finish Malik's first Chapter that I sat down just after posting it and started working on Chapter Five (thus this page, duh). This one is with the Four Swordsmen, Rafael, Almelda, Valon and Mai (I know she's a woman, but I don't think she minds being referred to as a swordsman).

Now, another surprise awaits. Please enjoy yourself. **(Bows as the curtain falls)**

- - -

- - -

**Chapter Five: Four Swordsmen…**

Amelda stood in the aerie as he stroked his tired eagle's brow, the other great birds that he cared for calling out their welcome for his safe return. He stepped out of his mount's den, with his jacket draped over his arm—without it one could see that his fingerless gloves went all the way up to the pit of his arms—he headed towards the main stairway.

His trip was interrupted, however, when a red dragon with a chain dangling from around its neck landed in the aerie with a 'boom!' Amelda turned his silver gaze to the dragon's rider as she jumped down in a wave of gold hair against a violet garb; his eyes narrowed into a glare when the woman was soon joined by three Harpies.

"Do you have to make such a racket?" He asked. "I'm willing to put up with your giant lizard since birds are one of the two relatives of dragons, but those sky whores upset my birds every time they _breathe_!"

Mai's violet gaze narrowed to match Amelda's. Petting her three harpies to calm their hissing as well as her own boiling temper, she brushed some stray blonde hair back over her shoulder haughtily. "They can deal with it," she said. "My girls don't cause any trouble unless they feel threatened."

Such an incident had occurred when Mai had first joined them, and it resulted in the death of one of Amelda's great birds. Since that time, the red-haired youth had not thought highly of or been on the best terms with the Harpy keeper.

"Well, let's hope they've gotten braver since they were last here then," Amelda retorted.

Mai's eyes flashed dangerously and she reached for her sword. "I dare—"

"Knock it off, you two!"

The two looked back toward the sky entrance of the aerie as Rafael landed by Mai's dragon and was soon joined by Valon on the last of Amelda's eagles. Mai's Harpies forgot their anger toward the caretaker of the aeries as they caught sight of Rafael and his great white wings, but their own keeper quickly ushered them away to their own den further up and they reluctantly complied.

"Save your bickering for a time we can afford it," the man went on as his wings disappeared and a series of left over feathers fell to the ground around his ankles. "Amelda, Valon needs your treatment."

The redhead snapped to attention and rushed over to his fellow swordsman, Mai in reluctant tow.

Valon clambered off the bird's back, hissing as he leaned against it and held his injured arm. "It's nothing, 'Mel," he smirked. "Really, I'm okay."

Amelda was usually one to disagree with Valon on a lot of things, and upon seeing the multiple cuts and gashes on his comrade's arm he wholly disagreed that Valon's injury was nothing. "How did this happen?"

Sighing, Valon took off his glove and elbow pad. "I formed a gauntlet and that king kid blew it apart," he replied.

Hearing that, Amelda looked his arm over, checking for shards of metal; finding none, he pulled a small jar of slave out of his belt pouch as well as a roll of bandages and proceeded to apply first aid. Once he finished binding Valon's arm, he looked over the smaller injuries that decorated his comrade's epidermis and caught sight of his right glove.

Seeing the middle piece was missing, his silver eyes widened and he looked back at Valon. The brown-haired youth snatched his hand back and held it in his bandaged one in heavy silence.

"What is it now?" Mai snapped.

"Complications," was Rafael's only reply as he pulled on his dark purple jacket and turned towards the stairs. Pulling his own black jacket back on, Amelda followed after him and then came Mai and Valon—though the first tried to stay a little ahead of her walking companion.

Together the four left the aerie and descended the spiral stairway, passing into a cold darkness. Mai shivered as her eyes refused to adjust to the thick blackness and Valon touched her shoulder in reassurance, but she quickly slapped it off.

They made it to the base of the stairs and continued down the torchlit hall, the statues of snakes lining the way. After a short while, they arrived at the end of the hall and met a pair of stone eyes glowing with fire carved into the wall at the top of a small stairway. Stopping at the base of the stairs, the four each dropped to one knee.

The figure standing before the burning eyes turned to face his four swordsmen, and none could suppress the shiver under his unseeable gaze.

He was over seven feet tall; his hair was the color of drying blood and went down to his hidden ankles. He wore black robes covered by dark violet armor and a black cape; the only skin you could see belonged to his clawed hands which looked as though they had been burned.

His face was sealed behind a half featureless mask; on the right side it was pure white with only a blue line trailing down from the brow, while the left side appeared to have been sewn into place and was the same burnt-skin color as his hands with black lines forming a circle around a pure gold eye that was frequently seen in the desert regions of the world.

This was the High Priest Akunadin.

"You have returned." His voice was like a whisper echoing in a tomb.

"We have, Master," Rafael, as leader of the Swordsmen, spoke for all four.

The dark creature known as Akunadin held out his right hand; the green stone embedded in his gauntlet began to glow and the same array that had appeared for each swordsman's mission formed inside it. One by one, the stones in the palms of their gloves appeared hovering in the priest's hand.

All but one.

"Valon…" The black-clad priest hissed dangerously.

Mai's violet eyes widened and shot to the younger swordsmen on her left, whose slate-blue gaze was centered on the ground.

"Where is the Pharaoh?"

The fist resting on the ground tightened. "Gone…"

Akunadin's left gauntlet shone faint gold and Valon cried out as the gold ring which held the blue-green stone began to burn.

"How?"

Valon gripped his hand as he leaned forward; he became vaguely aware of his comrades wach resting a hand in his back. Focusing on the feminine hand touching his right shoulder, he forced himself to speak. "I was…attacked…!" He said. "A kid…took the stone…and smashed it...!"

"One of the Four Swordsman under my command was unable to deal with one boy?" As Akunadin spoke the burn of the gold ring intensified.

"He…wasn't…normal!" Valon screamed. "He...he cracked…the sssseal barrier!"

At that, the three other swordsmen jerked and Akunadin ceased in his punishment. "Speak."

Valon took as short a moment he could to catch his breath, lest he anger his master again, and raised his slate-blue eyes to meet the expressionless mask. "He made cracks in the Seal of…Orichalcos…" the youth panted. "And made 'em…spread when he…took a sword to it… I got the Pharaoh…before he could break it…but then he attacked me while…I was in flight…and the stone fell…breaking apart…and it disappeared…"

Akunadin took this information in silence, no sound or movement was made to indicate what he was thinking. Finally, after a short while that stretched for hours, he spoke. "This boy… What was his appearance?"

"Regular dark skin…" Valon replied. "But, his hair…it was a weird, sandy-blond color…and his eyes were purple…"

Akunadin fell silent again.

Rafael chose to take this opportunity to voice his own experience. "Master, may I be permitted to speak?"

The half featureless mask turned in his direction; taking that as a 'yes,' he proceeded.

"A similar event occurred when I was sent to the Black Dragon Kingdom," Rafael said. "A young woman with hair like fire damaged the Seal as well."

"With me also," Amelda interjected. "The second prince of the royal family did the same thing."

All eyes then turned to Mai; her only reply was a curt nod.

"Who was the assailant?" Akunadin inquired.

"Some guy with silver hair," the woman replied. "He has one eye, though; Scarlet made sure of that."

Letting silence reign again, the Priest turned with a rush of his cloak and stalked off into the shadows without a word. After a few minutes of waiting, the four swordsmen left the hall, Rafael supporting Valon.

As the four walked, Mai felt Valon's eyes on her and she turned to find him managing a weak smile at her. The blonde woman huffed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I should've figured that _you_ would screw things up!" She said. "You never cease to _fail_, do you?"

Valon just shrugged weakly, his smile never faltering.

Scoffing, she turned her eyes back to the front, but then glanced at Rafael out of the corner of her violet eye. "Hey, Raf…" He tilted his head in her direction. "That girl you said you fought with…what happened to her?"

The man shrugged. "I left her alive, but whether or not she recovers from attacking the Seal is another story."

"Hm…" Mai quickly tossed her hair again, this time hitting Amelda right in the face.

"Would you quit that!"

Huffing, Mai quickened her pace and disappeared as she took a random turn.

"I really hate that woman!" The wine-red-haired youth looked back at his injured comrade to see he was still smiling. "What do you _see_ in her?"

Valon shrugged. "Myself…?"

- - -

Akunadin stood in a spacious room, the dim torches circling the room revealed the floor, walls and ceiling to be made of slabs of stone, each decorated with a different victim frozen in terror.

He then began chanting in a venomous language with sharp edges that would cause pain to any who heard it, and cause some to kill themselves to be free of it. The small torches exploded and the flames wrapped around him.

When he next took note of his surroundings, Akunadin found himself in an enormous cavern. The walls were lined with statues of giants sitting on their own thrown, each without a face. In the very center of the cavern, seven columns inscribed with ancient symbols surrounded a great pyramid lit up by the hundreds of torches placed around it. However, the main light source originated from a red circle of strange letters surrounding a six-point star with and eye in the middle.

Standing at the base of the enormous stairway leading up to the pyramid, Akunadin fell to one knee. At the sign of submission two lights appeared before him, the first was blue-green and rippled like water while the second was like a ball of flame, red lined with dark purple.

"Great Masters, a threat has come to my attention."

/Do not come with concerns to your own life, Priest/ the red-purple flame reprimanded. /Your only purpose is to serve and awaken us./

/Souls…/ the blue-green light hissed. /Must feed… Must wake… NOW/

Akunadin held out the three stones containing the Black Dragon prince, the White Dragon heir and Red Dragon queen.

/Gold…/ the rippling light hissed. /Gold light… There is none…/

"Hence my coming to you now, my masters," Akunadin said humbly. "Those who can break the Seal of Orichalcos and strengthen your chains have appeared."

/Treachery/

"One whose mane is the undulating flame, one whose eyes surpass the blue of the center sky, one who sees with a single eye through falls of silver…and one bearing locks of the desert sand." The Priest said. "As the ancient text foretold time and time again."

The blue-green light writhed and rippled violently, hissing with rage and fear, while its counterpart burned brighter.

/They who bound me to the burning earth—not once, but twice/ It snarled. /They return again/

/Hate…/ The other hissed venomously. /Hate them…! I…hate…them/

"You must preserve your strength," Akunadin urged. "Your time of awakening and revenge in nigh, but you must be patient a little longer."

/Too long…! Been patient to long…/ The green-blue light snarled. /Hate…! Kill…/

The red-purple flame turned back to Akunadin. /Deal with the transgressors, priest/ it said. /Find the gold light and set us free./

Akunadin bowed. "It shall be done."

With that, the two lights vanished and the priest was alone.

- - -

Shadi gazed into the pool, even as the two poisonous lights faded and the water turned black again. The danger was far greater than he had first predicted, for it was not one but _two_ demon gods seeking to wake again.

"Master Shadi…"

At the meek voice, the blue-eyed man turned to find a young woman standing behind him. She appeared to be about sixteen; her skin was the same dark color as Shadi's, but her eyes were dark brown and her hair was a sunshine-blonde. She wore a sleeveless dress the same color as the man's robes with a metal headband.

"Mana. Did you need something?"

The girl cast her eyes down to the water surrounding her ankles. "It's coming, isn't it?" She asked softly. "The Great Serpent…?"

Shadi did not respond and instead held out his arm, allowing her to take shelter against him and under his cloak. "Where is Mahaado?"

"Gazing," Mana replied. "He can feel the disturbances too…"

Nodding, the man fell silent.

There was nothing more he could do but wait. It was up to the chosen ones now to come to him.

- - -

- - -

Hah! I bet you thought it was gonna be Dartz! You did, didn't ya! Haha!

For anyone wondering who the heck Akunadin is, he was one of the Seven Priests under the Pharaoh Atem; he was also Pharaoh Atem's uncle and Priest Seth's father. He was taken over by the dark forces and turned all cool-creepy as he released the evil creature known as Zorc.

Now you're probably wondering where Dartz is, right? Well, I'm not gonna tell you.

The Pyramid place that Akunadin went to is from a screen cap I found from one of the Playstation Games.

A few other things, the "Scarlet" Mai spoke of when talking about Pegasus would be her red-haired harpy. I know she doesn't have scarlet-red hair, but I couldn't come up with anything else. Hmm, maybe I'll call the other two "Cobalt" and "Ember." Yeah.

As for the Swordsmen, I always felt that they had a sort of brotherhood amongst each other. Of course they got into squabbles, but who doesn't? I always thought they got along well and were pretty happy together since they had each suffered a cruel fate.

Now a small headsup, the next couple of chapters will focus around the Gold, Red and White Dragon kingdoms' current handling of their loved ones' strange conditions, and then Black Dragon Kingdom in a difficult situation before I start combining the characters in their chapters.


	7. To Pursue a King

Guten tag! Moriyasha Neko-_hime_ here, this chapter and the one to follow are very short, so I posted them at the same times. **(Salute)** Fare thee well.

**- - -**

**- - -**

**Chapter Six: To Pursue a King…**

Everything was quiet.

Malik felt weightless, but at the same time incredibly heavy. He was unconscious, and yet completely aware of is surroundings. Little flashes of light darted through the waving reeds and the sun was far above him, layered by a clear blue.

'_Water.'_ He had fallen from a giant eagle's back and crashed into the river. To fall from such a height surely would result in death. He wasn't breathing, so he must be dead, but then why was he still aware? Perhaps he was dead and his spirit was so disgusting that the afterlife didn't want him.

Malik felt it was appropriate, after what he had done…

_Just once._

_He only wanted to feel the sun at least one time._

_His father had beaten Rishid during their absence, and now he was punishing Isis. Her face was to the wall and clenched tightly in her fight to keep from crying out. The back of her dress had been torn open and lashes from her father's whip were fresh with blood; her wrists were also bleeding from the ropes binding her to the wall._

_Malik had cried from the wall he had been chained to for his father's torture to cease. Unlike Rishid and Isis who had been bound to face the wall, he was chained to face the torment of his siblings._

_Isis finally couldn't take the pain any longer, but still refused to scream, instead passing out from exhaustion and pain._

_Malik's father re-coiled the whip as he turned to meet the boy's amethyst glare of contempt with little concern. "This is the result of your disobedience, Malik," he said, pushing the boy's chin up with the whip. "You have been told to stay here. In the shadows, deep in the Earth…"_

_The boy jerked his head away, receiving a backhanded blow for the act._

_He knew. From the moment he was born, taking his mother's life in the process, he had known he wanted the sun. More than anything he wanted to feel the light of the sun instead of the snapping fires of the many that torches of the caverns. Everyday, he would sneak away from his room to go to the dry well and look up at the blue sky high above the ground he had been born under._

_However, with the urgings of his heart his father had placed warnings: Never go above ground; Never let anyone see you; Never feel the light of the sun._

_Malik had disobeyed his father and gone above, had seen people and in turn been seen, and he had let the sun smile down on his whole body. But in finding that had sought for, he had caused his loved ones pain._

_No. Not him…his father._

_That man who had not shed one tear when his wife had died, and he who had confined his children deep in the Earth, away from the sun and blue sky._

_These thoughts slowly changed Malik's sadness to anger, as it had many times in the past. But this time it was different, his spark of anger steadily grew into a fire of rage and hate. He lunged for the man, his shackles halting him in the attempt. But even then he didn't stop, not even when his scarred wrists began to bleed as they had a year before; quite the opposite, he pulled harder. _

_At first, his father looked at him with little concern, uncoiling the whip to proceed with the boy's punishment. And then the bolts in the wall holing the boy's chains began to bend._

_Malik's vision became blurred as his rage consumed his every thought, and when the bolts broke free, he knew no more._

_When his mind returned, Malik found himself sitting beside his unbound sister and Rishid. But his shock came when he found his hands and front covered in a copper-smelling, crimson substance he knew could only be blood; looking around, he found the floor and walls splattered with the same red fluid._

_Tears of uncertain fear and remorse trailed down his cheeks, and his wails echoed through the vast underground caverns…_

Though he had washed the blood away years ago he could still feel it, he could still smell it all over his body. He deserved to let his spirit dwell between the world of the living and dead, suffering amid an eternity of grief and pain.

His thoughts of purgatory were halted when he felt a warm presence appear and hover above him. With his unconscious sight, he could see it was a woman. Though he had never met her, he knew her, and had felt a boundless, undying love for her since his first breath of life.

Amethyst-colored eyes snapped open and immediately his lungs cried out for air. Kicking off the ground, Malik swam toward the sun; breaking the surface of the water, he gasped and coughed as air again filled his lungs.

- - -

Atem lay in his chamber, motionless save for his quiet breathing. To the servants who came and went it appeared as though their King was in a deep sleep. However, to the priests and the Pharaoh's advisor standing around the bed, this slumber brought worry.

As Shamans, they dealt with matters of the spirit on a regular occasion, and using their knowledge and powers they had almost immediately they had found the reason for this deep sleep. The Pharaoh's soul was gone.

"It must have been the work of that invading army!" High Priest Nesun stated.

"But how could they? What magic could they possess that could separate a spirit from its body?" Asked Priest Kalim.

As the Priests spoke amongst each other, Isis stood with Rishid at the Pharaoh's side in solemn silence. If only she had received the prediction sooner, perhaps what had happened could have been prevented. Some of the Priests had voiced this with some mention to her incompetence as a Priestess of the Pharaoh's court.

Isis could only stand in silent agreement.

She should have seen the attack coming hours in advance. And now, her Pharaoh was bedridden and her brother was missing.

"Such a mystery," the Pharaoh's advisor, Siamun muttered, making Isis look up. "How the Lord Pharaoh's Ka was stolen, for what reason… Never in all my years as Advisor to the Pharaoh have I heard of such a thing happening." The old man sighed. "Nor does any solution come to my old mind."

Isis' blue gaze returned to the Pharaoh. 'What has become of you, My Lord? What has become of my brother…?'

It was then the doors of the Pharaoh's room opened and all eyes turned to the dripping wet youth standing breathless in the doorway.

"Malik!" Isis and Rishid dashed over to the boy.

Slowly, his hands on either door, Malik looked up at the many figures surrounding the Pharaoh's bed. "I witnessed what happened, My Lords…"

A short time later, Malik had finished telling the events he had seen play out the previous night.

"And you say you fell from this great bird's back?" Priest Akinar inquired, receiving a tired nod from the youth. "How did you survive?"

Malik bowed his head. "I don't know…"

"And your use of Shamanism?" Preist Lukor inquired further. At this, the sandy-haired youth remained silent. "Such use of restricted power is against the law, Malik."

The youth bowed his head further, but felt a hand settle on his shoulder and looked back up to see his sister standing at his side.

"If punishment is to be dealt out, I will take it. I was aware of Malik's actions and did nothing to stop it," Isis said, making everyone jerk. "Also, as The Priestess of Foresight I should have foreseen the attack much sooner."

Everyone stared at the woman with great surprise, Malik most of all. He had believed that his sister had known nothing about his actions, when in truth, she had intentionally overlooked them. Did she know what he had been trying to do all this time?

It was during this moment of stunned silence that Siamun stepped forward. "The one who deals out punishment for such things is the Morning and Evening Star of the Gold Sands—the Lord Pharaoh," said the old man. "And at present, I do not believe punishments are needed."

The room fell from shocked silence to solemn when everyone cast their eyes toward the bed which held the Pharaoh.

"Malik." The boy raised his eyes to meet Priest Kalim's steady gaze. "You said the stone imprisoning the Pharaoh's soul was destroyed when it fell, correct?"

"Yes, I am led to believe so, sir…" Malik nodded.

"And you also spoke of a bird of gold light flying away."

Another nod.

Kalim looked to the other Priests. "It is possible that that bird was the Pharaoh's Ka," he said.

"But even so," piped up Priest Nadda, "why did he not return to his body?"

Again, the room fell silent without answers to the many questions in the air.

- - -

Night fell swiftly, covering the land in a cool blanket of darkness.

Malik entered the Pharaoh's chambers the second time that day and stood at the bedside, staring down at the empty shell of his King and good friend. Atem still appeared strong, but the youth could see that the warm glow that usually surrounded the Pharaoh was gone.

Ever since he had come to the Gold Dragon Kingdom, Atem had treated him kindly; sometimes it was as if there were no social differences between them.

Malik wanted to repay that kindness. It was then that he came to a decision he had been considering for some time now.

Kalim had said that the bird of gold light had been Atem's spirit, his Ka, but for reasons unknown it did not return to his body. But his life vessel still lived, therefore somewhere to the West was Pharaoh Atem's Ka.

Malik fell to one knee, placing his fist to his heart. "My Lord Pharaoh…Atem. I swear by every drop of blood in my body, I will find you." With that, the sandy-haired, desert youth rose and dashed out of the room.

He would tell the Priests and his sister of his intentions and leave the next morning with Rishid to search for Atem's Ka. As he made a sharp turn at a corner, Malik collided with someone and promptly found himself on the ground. Looking back up, he met the familiar hawk-like gaze of his lifelong friend.

"Rishid!" Malik jumped back up and found Isis standing behind the man. The youth was surprised to find his sister not clad in her usual priestess regalia, but in an off-white dress that came off her shoulders with long sleeves that hid her hands. Her hair was not pulled back by a headdress and instead hung loosely about her shoulders with only her gold-banded braids and a simple circlet secured around her brow. It was very similar to how she dressed when they were children.

Something tugged at his brain, registering as 'Wrong,' but before Malik could discover what it was about his sister's appearance that felt inappropriate, Isis grabbed his arm and pulled him after her as she ran down the hall on their left. "We must go, _now_!"

"What?" The youth blinked. He hadn't even told them of his intentions, yet from the look of the three bags Rishid had slung over his shoulders, they were _all_ ready to leave. "Why?"

"I overheard the Priests talking," Rishid said as he caught up with the two. "And Lady Isis had a vision of—"

"We will discuss it later!" The woman urged, increasing her pace. "We must hurry!"

Malik looked back to his sister to ask further, but stopped when he finally found what it was about her that seemed so wrong to him: Isis' neck, which always bore the _tauk_ of Foresight, was bare.

- - -

Kalim stood outside Isis' room. He had just left a meeting with the other priests and they had decided to arrest Malik and imprison him in the dungeon for his failure to protect the Pharaoh and his use of Shamanism.

As Isis had not been included in the meeting, it was he who would inform the High Priestess of their decision. Truthfully, Kalim had not agreed to what the others had planned, but he new it was the law and the law was for the best. Or at least, he hoped it still was.

Finally, his large fist knocked against the wood surface of the door. He waited, but no answer came from within.

"Isis?" He knocked again. "Are you awake?" Kalim opened the door slightly to peek inside.

The lamps were still lit and the curtains of the windows and bed were still tied back, but he could see no one inside. Stepping past the threshold of the room, Kalim looked around to indeed find the room vacant of its High Priestess.

Curious as to where she could have gone this late at night, Kalim turned to leave, but stopped when he saw a glimmer of gold on Isis' bed. Walking over to the addressed piece of furniture the Priest found the _tauk_ of Foresight, the symbol of Isis' being a High Priestess and one of the treasures given only to those belonging to the Pharaoh's Seven, resting on one of the pillows.

Picking it up, for the first time in many years the Priest of Judgment was shocked.

"Isis…!"

- - -

Isis slowed her horse to a stop and turned to look back at the great city that had been her home for four good years.

Malik and Rishid also halted their horses and looked from Isis to the Kingdom. The sandy-haired youth could feel his sister's sadness and reluctance, and fighting the shivers that wracked his body from being out in the night without a torch, spoke. "You don't have to leave…"

The woman stared back at the palace a moment more before turning back to her brothers and kicking her horse into a run again. "Let's hurry!"

Rishid had overheard the Priests' discussion, however, with the power of the _tauk_, Isis had seen her brother imprisoned in the dark he hated and feared so much. She had refused to let her brother suffer in such a way; but she knew that as a priestess, and without the Pharaoh to aid her pleas, she would have no choice but to go along with their decision.

So, Isis had done the only thing she could to save her brother: she had forsaken her position as High Priestess of Foresight of the Pharaoh's Seven.

Malik had objected several times before now to her going with him and Rishid, but with what little time they had to discuss it, they had all agreed that they wanted to save Atem. In a way, they each felt they had to make up for not being able to protect their Pharaoh from the attack, and therefore each had their own and yet the same reason to go.

Malik was grateful for the cloudless sky and the bright moonlight, otherwise he feared his strength would fail. And so, he pointed them towards the West, following the bird he had seen the previous night.

- - -

Shadi's head snapped up and he looked at the pool which glimmered gold from the sunlight shining through the holes in the roof of the cavern, the dawn sky reflecting on the surface.

"Master Shadi?" Mana blinked from her perch near the mouth of the cave.

Beside her stood a man appearing to be in his early twenties clad in white clothes with gold shoulder guards and jewelry like that of the desert dwelling people; his dark brown hair went down to his waist in straight locks and his skin matched that of the girl and the robed man, however his eyes were an incredible light blue-green color.

"Lord Shadi?" Mahaado stepped forward to join the other man. He followed his gaze to the pool and stared. He soon saw a beam of gold light shoot across the surface and he looked to his companion. "That was…!"

Shadi nodded, the barest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "They are coming."

- - -

- - -


	8. To Pursue a Vision

**- - -**

**- - -**

**Chapter Seven: To Pursue a Vision…**

Sunlight leaked in through the windows of the beautiful room and hit the thin blue curtains of the bed that were tied back by ropes of the same color.

Pegasus sat in a chair beside the bed, leaning into one hand as he stared at his unconscious wife with his remaining eye in an unemotional daze. The woman appeared to be sleeping, she had been for the past two days; she had not stirred or squirmed at all during this slumber. It was as if she wasn't even there.

And somehow, Pegasus knew she wasn't.

At times, he wasn't sure how long things had been this way; it felt like a second and an eternity in the same instant. Time had frozen along with his heart, and it would not thaw for all the world.

Occasionally Pegasus would blink back into consciousness, but only long enough to hear what the doctors had to say or think about the room he was in. The chamber had always been used to care for the past Queens whenever they fell extremely ill, but more often, it was for when she was to give birth.

Only recently had Cyndia presented their having children. It had hurt every time he thought about it, but the pain was a dull throb in the man's chest now.

Maids had brought in food for the Queen's husband, but he barely—if ever—touched it.

Pegasus watched Cyndia, never moving from his seat and never looking away from her. To escape the reality that was playing past hit, his thoughts replayed every moment he had ever spent with his wife, from their first dance to their last visit to the lake. When he came to the point where the Harpy Keeper attacked, his mind went back again to avoid it.

Aside from that, Pegasus did nothing else.

- - -

Meanwhile, the castle library was a mess. Stacks of books littered the desks and floor, making it impossible for anyone to maneuver through the room.

Nearly anyone.

Rebecca finished reading her current book, slammed it shut and added it to another pile before rushing back to the shelves.

Truthfully, the girl should have been in the healing house due to her tussle with the harpy, but she hadn't rested a bit after awakening to find the queen in her strange coma. Instead, she dove into every piece of material in the library in search of a cure or an answer to Cyndia's condition.

The blonde girl rubbed her tired, strained eyes, but proceeded to climb up the ladder to the shelf barely cleared of its books—unlike those below which were completely empty.

Rebecca took the next book from the shelf, but her bandaged wrist ached and throbbed and the book fell from her hand. She grabbed after it, but it was already out of her reach. Luckily, another person standing at the base of the ladder caught the book.

Climbing back down, Rebecca looked up into Ryou's brown eyes before slowly taking the book from him. "Thanks."

She headed back to the desks to read her chosen piece of material followed closely by Ryou. The white-haired youth stood at Rebecca's side until she was done and put it with the others, then following her back to the bookcase again.

"You need to rest, Rebecca," Ryou said as he watch the girl climb back up the ladder.

"I'm fine!" She shot back in reply as she grabbed five books in her determination. However, like before, her injured wrist caused her to drop them. Growling with frustration she scrambled down to retrieve them.

"You can't keep doing this without rest," the boy went on, grabbing Rebecca's hand to get her to listen. "You're going to collapse if you don't—"

"Shut up!" The girl shouted, tearing her arm free as she spun around to face him as she threw her gathered books to the floor again. "Don't tell me what I can and can't do! You don't know what it's like! Having to stand there and watch as everything you've ever cared about is ripped away from you! You don't know what it feels like to be there and not able to do anything to help! You don't know…what it…"

The girl trailed off as she caught the look of pain and sadness that shadowed Ryou's face. He didn't speak, but his eyes told of an endless agony stabbed deep into his heart.

Tears filled Rebecca's green eyes and she crouched down, sobbing into her knees. Ryou knelt down and put his arms around the girl.

"I'm…I'm sorry!" She cried. "I didn't…! I shouldn't have…! Oh, Ryou!" Rebecca returned the embrace and sobbed into the older boy's shirt.

For a long while, Ryou held the young scholar until her tears and sobs quieted, and when he looked again he was relieved to find Rebecca had fallen asleep. Carrying her to one of the sofas, he laid her down and removed his jacket, draping it over her in place of a blanket.

His eyes scanned the towers of books built up from the floor and desks; Rebecca had worked through more than three quarters of the library in less than two days and Ryou couldn't help smiling in admiration of the girl. Walking back to the bookcase the girl had been working through when he arrived, the white-haired youth picked up the books Rebecca had dropped and proceeded to read them.

He knew what it was like. As well as everyone else, if not better, Ryou knew what sort of loss felt like. To be hidden and watch through a small crack as his family, his entire village was slaughtered. One would have to ask why.

For having white hair, and for using a strange form of magic. These attributes frightened people, and that fear gradually changed to hate, which in the end turned into violence.

At that time, there had been nothing for him to do to protect those he loved. He had toiled away in his father's laboratory in search of vengeance, and in the end caused more needless pan.

But this time, he would find the real answer for his mentor, for Rebecca and most of all for Queen Cyndia.

- - -

Night fell, though Pegasus barely acknowledged it. His mind was now weighed down with exhaustion and when sleep appeared on the rim of his vision, he put up no struggle.

- - -

_He turned and saw the gold sands of the desert begin to glow. The grains of light rose up and took the form of a great dragon; from the same sands emerged a bird of gold light which shot off towards the West._

_From seemingly beneath his nonexistent feet rose a second dragon the color of garnet. It watched after the bird and took flight, seeing the gold dragon from the desert following close behind him._

_Next, he saw a pure white dragon look up and follow the bird and other two dragons._

_At last the bird came to halt and landed on the shoulder of a black dragon that stood atop mountains covered in snow gazing toward the approaching three dragons._

_The four stood in a circle, staring at one another with great familiarity and love. They then directed their gazes towards the setting sun; he could see a place where the desert met the ocean, and when the sun faded, the sand and water turned black. Writhing like sick beasts, the sand and water rose and merged into a great darkness._

_And in that darkness, he saw two pairs of eyes staring back at him with contempt and utter loathing._

- - -

Pegasus snapped awake and gripped the arms of his chair as though afraid of falling from a great height.

As he leaned forward, panting heavily, the man felt his bandaged eye burn and he carefully touched the linen bandages to calm the pain. Pegasus looked back with his remaining eye and felt another pain in his chest which he could not calm.

As it had the night of the attack, the painful truth of Cyndia's condition struck Pegasus like an arrow. And he could nothing but sit and watch her unnatural slumber.

'No,' a voice that reminded him of his father broke through his thoughts.

It wasn't that he couldn't do anything, it was that he hadn't. He had not moved of his own accord.

He vaguely recalled Ryou coming in and mentioning that Rebecca had been working in the library since she had woken up after the attack; he said she was searching diligently through every shelf and book for a cure of some sort. By this point, Pegasus was sure Ryou was assisting her if he hadn't taken over completely. Those two children worked while he sat and did nothing.

After two days of barely moving, Pegasus stood up and walked to the window. It was late into the night; the sky was a deep, almost black shade of blue with no moonlight.

As he stared through the glass, the man saw something shining in the distance, moving towards the West as it left a faint trail of gold. Squinting, he could barely make out the movement of wings.

With a start, he pushed the glass doors open and ran out onto the balcony. Looking harder, Pegasus was shocked to find it was a bird of gold light, or more specifically, the bird from his dream.

- - -

"Rebecca!"

The small girl clung to sleep as she wrapped the jacket draped over her tighter around herself.

"Rebecca!" The one calling her took her by the shoulder and shook her carefully. "Wake up! I found something!"

After a few more of Ryou's urgings Rebecca opened her eyes and sat up tiredly. "Whu—what? What is it?"

Ryou held out the worn and tattered book, careful to keep the loose pages in place as he opened it to his marked space. "Here!" He pointed. "I found something in here that talks about people falling asleep and not stirring, just like Her Majesty!"

Rebecca rubbed her eyes a bit before pulling on her half-moon glasses to read. "Where did you find this?"

"Buried far in the back," the white-haired youth replied. "It has to be one of the oldest pieces of material in the whole kingdom. It holds writings from the time of Atlantis!"

The young advisor blinked and looked back up. "What did you say?"

"The dates read centuries before the kingdom was even constructed," Ryou said. "And Atlantis is mentioned thoroughly, mainly during the Dragon Century."

Rebecca sighed, removing her glasses once again to rub between her eyes. "Ryou, Atlantis and the Dragon Century are myths. Neither artifacts nor archival evidence have ever been found from those times or places."

Ryou met the girl's gaze with a pleading look and she again replaced her spectacles to read the pages. After a short while, she looked back up. "It does seem identical to Her Majesty's condition…" she admitted.

"Maybe if we brought it to Master Pegasus' attention he might come up with something," the white-haired youth said as he took the book back and sighed tiredly. "I'm at my wits end, as well as the library's."

Rebecca sighed gently; she too was finished in her search. "Alright. Let's to talk to him."

Picking themselves up, they carefully made their way around the stacks and piles of books to the door. However, upon exiting the library they were met by another obstacle. Three boys around Ryou's age were gathered just outside the door; the youth man immediately recognized them as pupils of the other mages, as well as some of his regular tormentors.

"So _this_ is where you've been hiding, eh, Bakura?" The one in the middle sneered.

Clutching the book tightly, Ryou attempted to move past them, but the two boys on the outside pushed him back. "Please, let us pass," he said levelly. "We have something urgent to deliver to Master Pegasus."

"How urgent?" One boy asked, shoving him back again. "More urgent than protecting her Majesty?"

Ryou's eyes saddened, but he did not respond.

Rebecca, however, did. "Back off! It's not like it's his fault!"

The boys turned their eyes on her, no less harsh and accusing than when they were on Ryou. "And what about you? Weren't you at the Queen's side at the time of the attack?"

Before the girl could even attempt an answer, another boy interjected. "You can't expect _her_ to have been any good. Really, her failure in her duties comes as no surprise when you know where she comes from."

Rebecca's blonde hair bristled. "That…has nothing…to do with this…!" She said through grit teeth.

"Wrong!" The third boy smacked her hard in the shoulder. "It has everything to do with this! It proves that some black-using freak and a little slave girl have no place here!"

"If you can't protect the Queen, then any _talents_ or _gifts_ you have are useless! You're useless!" One boy grabbed the collar of Ryou's shirt and slammed him back against the wall. "What's the deal, Bakura! Why didn't you use your black powers to fight! What? Scared of what you'll do?"

"Knock it off!" Rebecca pulled at the boy's arm, but was backhanded by one of the others and thrown against the door; the impact her back felt when she hit the door handle made her cry out and fall to the ground.

Ryou's eyes flashed dangerously, but he quickly clamped them shut to push the rising power down again. The horrific visions of blood flowing like a river and washing over him flashed through his mind, making tears come to his eyes. But his thoughts were interrupted when the hand holding the collar of his shirt was released in time with a sound similar to a clap of thunder repeating three times.

Opening his eyes, the white-haired youth saw silver hair shining in the torchlight, right beside the three boys. Each boy bore one red cheek and took a wary step back under the hard glare belonging to the husband of the Queen.

"_I_ have _silver_ hair, though not born with it, I have had it for more than half my life," Pegasus said venomously. "_I_ was born into a merchant family, yet I am the spouse to of the noblest woman in the country. I have yet to hear you pass judgment on me." The boys stood in frightened under the attention of the man's one visible eye and remained silent. "By the authority I hold, I hereby sentence you to three months without lessons in magic."

At this, the boys snapped back. "But master Pegasus—"

"Ryou is my pupil," the man said darkly. "And Rebecca is the right hand advisor to the Queen Cyndia. For such disrespect and violence towards them, you should be happy that I don't disband your privileges **_permanently_**!"

With that final warning, Pegasus sent them scurrying off down the hall back to their chambers and he turned his attention to Rebecca as Ryou knelt beside her. Pegasus joined the two youths on the ground and cast a healing spell to mend the girl's most recent injury and dull the pain of her old ones.

Rebecca quickly recovered and rose up. "I'm sorry…I should have shown more authority…and…" She paused when she felt Pegasus' hands on her shoulders and met his gaze with some shame.

"There is nothing to apologize for," the man smiled gently as he brushed some of her hair out of her eyes. "It's alright."

The girl's eyes widened at his words, then brimmed with tears and she leaned her head down on his shoulder as she cried.

- - -

Later, Rebecca lay asleep on Ryou's bed while the white-haired youth sat at the small table in the room showing the book to his mentor.

After a long while of silence during his reading, the silver-haired man finally looked up. "Ryou, you are aware that this has to be one of the oldest books in the entire castle, if not the continent, I trust?"

The boy nodded. "I am…"

"Then you must also know that the chances of anyone knowing anything aside from just the legends of Atlantis and the Dragon Century are quite slim, yes?" Another nod from Pegasus' student. "And yet you believe that if we follow the same course of the one who wrote this book, we may find an answer to Cyndia's condition?"

Lowering his head, Ryou nodded one last time.

"This has to be one of the craziest, least thought out suggestion I've ever heard you voice, Ryou Bakura." Pegasus closed the book and smiled. "I like it!"

The youth's head snapped back up as his teacher rose from his seat and headed for the door. "Get some rest, we'll leave tomorrow afternoon."

Ryou found he could only nod dumbly after the man as he left. He would have climbed into bed as he was ordered, but realized he had surrendered it to Rebecca and instead chose to sleep on the window seat.

- - -

Sunlight again broke through the windows of the Queen's labor room for the third time since Cyndia's falling ill.

This time, however, Pegasus was dressed in a red turtleneck with black pants, a black vest held closed with three small gold chains and he carried a long black coat draped over his arm; his silver hair was tied back, but he let the bangs on his left side hand down to cover the bandages. He carefully took his beloved's frail hand into his own and held it to his cheek.

"I don't want to leave you, Cyndia, but I can't sit by watching you sleep like this without doing something," he whispered. "If there is anything out there that can save you, I'll find it. I promise." Kissing his wife and soul mate, Pegasus laid her hand back down and with great reluctance left the room.

Making it down to the courtyard, the man was not incredibly surprised to find his pupil running circles around the courtyard in his futile attempt to escape the fuming girl who was hot on his heels.

"I will not stand for this, Ryou!" Rebecca shouted hotly.

"Then sit down!" The white-haired youth pushed Pegasus' retainer, Croquet between himself and the girl; the man immediately paled and began sweating nervously. "We'll all feel much safer about it!"

"**_Ryou!_**"

He continued running and Rebecca followed, much to Croquet's extreme relief. When the Queen's advisor was angry there was no telling what she would do or who was safe, so he was grateful that Rebecca was focusing all her wrath on his master's student.

And as amusing as Pegasus found this, he couldn't have Ryou getting injured or possibly killed before they even began their journey. "Ryou! Over here, this way!"

Turning towards his mentor's voice, Ryou fled to the safety of Pegasus' back, again putting something between himself and the wrathful girl. Rebecca followed and quickly redirected her attention from the boy to his teacher.

"Master Pegasus! Ryou has just informed me that I will not be attending this expedition!" She glared. "Why?"

"Because, Rebecca. I need you to remain here and look after things while we're gone," he explained authoritatively as he pulled on his jacket. "As the Queen's advisor, it is up to keep the kingdom from falling apart until she recovers."

Rebecca cast her green eyes to the ground. "But…but what if…"

"Oh, don't worry your pretty little head off about a thing!" Pegasus smiled. "I've ordered Croquet to follow your exact orders and protect you. Right?" This last part was directed to his retainer as he came up.

"Yes, sir," he nodded.

Pegasus knelt down and put his hands on Rebecca's shoulders, making her look up. "Rebecca, there is no one else I would rather have here to look after Cyndia. Will you do this for me?"

The girl nodded slowly. "I will…"

Smiling, Pegasus placed a kiss on Rebecca's cheek. She immediately broke out into a furious blush and jumped back.

"Don't think you can get away with that!" She exclaimed, looking off to the side to hide her pink face. "And don't think I won't punish you, but you have to go, so it'll have to wait." Her eyes made their way back to Pegasus' face. "…So come back. Okay?"

The man nodded. "We will."

Rebecca looked past him to his pupil. "You, too, Ryou."

Ryou blinked, somewhat surprised, but smiled warm and gently. "I promise, Rebecca."

With that, the two mounted the horses brought from the stables and rode out at top speed. "We'll come back, with a cure!" Pegasus called back over his shoulder. "I promise!"

Rebecca waved after them and slowly lowered her hand to her side after they had disappeared from view. "I hope they find the cure…"

"Have faith in them," Croquet said, stepping up beside the girl. "Lord Pegasus' word has never failed us, so I know he will."

She returned her eyes to the road Pegasus and Ryou had taken, then looked back at Croquet with a smile. "He said 'exact orders,' correct?"

"He did," the man nodded.

"What if I told you to jump from a tower or wall?" Rebecca inquired playfully.

"Lord Pegasus said I should, only if it is part of some brilliant plan you have concocted," Croquet replied with all seriousness.

Rebecca couldn't help laughing.

The two horses climbed the hill and when they came to a fork in the road, Pegasus turned right.

"West, Master?" Ryou inquired.

Pegasus nodded. "I've never gone that way, before. Also…" he said and a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. "Just say a little bird told me."

- - -

- - -

As I said, short, but necessary if I want to get the story rolling.

Next, **Chapter 8** Seto an Mokuba set out, and when we reach **Chapter 9** you get a change and a surprise.


	9. To Pursue a Killer

**(Cat-eared author waves to the approaching readers)** Min'na-san! O'genki!

**(Sighs happily)** All the reviews I got made me oh so happy! **(Flips open fan, revealing the kanji for 'Heart' and 'Sword,' which comes out as 'Shinobi')**

I had already started working on Chaptah 8 when I finished typing up 7, and have finally typed it down.

A note, I made a small adjustment to the end of Chaptah 6, the part with Shadi, Mana and Mahaado—the bird flying overhead didn't really work with how I have things set up in my mind, so I put a slight rewrite in there. You probably won't even notice it.

But anywho…

ENJOY NUMBUH 8!

**- - -**

**- - -**

**Chapter Eight: To Pursue a Killer…**

Three days had passed since King Gozaburo's death and two since his funeral. However, the castle was in an uproar, calming the people and tending to the comatose heir, to be in much mourning for the late king.

Seto had gathered together the best men and women in medical science available to remedy his half-brother's condition, but one by one they continued to find nothing wrong with Noa. With each unsuccessful diagnosis the doctors were dismissed until only one specialist remained.

After a while, the man emerged from behind the curtain surrounding Noa's bed and sighed. "Your Highness, physically I can find nothing wrong with him," he said, running his hand through his graying hair nervously. "He has no injuries and as far as I can tell no toxins are present—" the doctors had each observed a blood sample under microscope earlier, "—Lord Noa is in a perfect state of health."

The last two dozen men and women had told the prince the same thing for the past two days, so it came as little in the way of news and even his annoyance had faded to a dull poke on his nerves.

Rubbing between his blue eyes with one bandaged hand, Seto took a deep breath. "You may go," he sighed.

The doctor bowed and took a hasty leave, almost knocking Mokuba over as he came in, but a quick apology and the youngest prince excused him. The black-haired boy watched as his brother collapsed into a chair and lean his head back as he closed his deep blue eyes.

After the shock of Gozaburo's death had sunk in, Seto passed out and hadn't woken up until the next day. However, since waking up the older of the two princes only took a few minutes of rest, and even then it was incredibly light. Mokuba was curious as to whether his brother didn't sleep because of his concern over Noa's condition, or nightmares about Gozaburo's death.

"Nii-sama, you should get some sleep," Mokuba said, stepping up next to the chair.

"I know," Seto sighed. Looking back at his little brother, he pat his shaggy head. "You should, too."

The boy's blue eyes narrowed. "I've gotten more sleep than you have."

Seto gave a light chuckle and messed up his brother's already unruly black hair. The room fell silent again as the two cast their gazes to the bed, where they could barely see their half-brother laying. There had been no movement from Noa aside from his quiet breathing since the attack, and the two remaining princes had done everything they could to stir him without success.

"It's almost like he's asleep," Mokuba said quietly, receiving a nod from his brother in response. The doctors are sure he wasn't…poisoned…or anything?"

Seto visibly flinched at the word Mokuba had so hesitantly uttered. "Even if they didn't, _I_ can't find anything wrong with him either," he replied, bridging his fingers and leaning his chin on his knuckles. "I just can't figure out what happened to him…"

Mokuba put his hand on his brother's shoulder and was about to say something when the veil of silence was lifted by a knock on the door. Seto bid the person enter and in stepped Isono and the lady doctor who took care of the princes on a regular basis, Gaya.

"Seto-sama," the man bowed. "The Five wish to speak with you, sir."

Seto stood up after a short moment, and as he made his way to the door, he stopped too look at Gaya. "And you?"

"I was coming to see how your hands feel, but I'll wait," the woman replied with a small shrug.

With little excitement, the two princes went to the throne room, Seto's servant and the doctor in their wake. There waited the kingdom's top scholars and alchemists—next to the members of the royal family. In all honesty, Seto had never liked nor trusted the 'King's Five' as many had come to call them; they had been too close to Gozaburo and gave off the same smell as the late king.

"What is it?" The elder of the two present princes asked shortly, his bandaged hands in his pockets.

"Prince Seto, Prince Mokuba," the five men bowed, though not very far. "It is good to see you well."

The eldest man stepped forward, his cane tapping the floor. He was stout and balding, the rest of his grey hair gathered in a semi-circle to the back of his dome-shaped head; this was Gansly. "Prince Seto, given the current situation, the five of us have come to a decision."

Seto remained silent and the men took it as a sign to continue.

"As King Gozaburo has passed away and Prince Noa is bedridden, the kingdom is sure to be a hectic uproar soon," said, Daimon, a tall, bulky man with short almond-colored hair and pointy beard. "The people will need someone to lead them."

"So," the man with short, grey-brown hair—Oota—cut in, "we believe it best that you seized the throne."

Mokuba looked up into his brother's face, but there was no hint in Seto's noble features as to what he was thinking. The young ebony-haired knew that Seto had always wanted to be appointed King. Even though Noa had been proclaimed the heir, Mokuba's full blood brother had constantly told him of changes that would be made when he was crowned.

Now, with the King dead and the Heir comatose, it would be more than easy for him.

"No."

The King's Five, the lady doctor, Seto's servant and bodyguard and even Mokuba did a double take at the elder prince's one word reply.

Ooka, a broad-faced man with square-framed spectacles, was the first to find his voice. "P-Prince?"

"Do I need to speak louder or slower for you to hear what I said?" Seto removed his hands from his pockets and folded his arms in front of his chest. "I refuse to take the role as King under these circumstances. Gozaburo may be dead, but Noa isn't. According to law, I don't even have the right to the throne."

"But-but…Highness!" Sputtered the man with dark hair and mustache, Crump. "Surely you don't mean to leave the crown in Prince Noa's possession!"

"I will do so until I see fit," Seto replied, turning on his heel and heading out the doors. "If you'll excuse me."

Mokuba recovered from his shock when his brother disappeared from view and dashed after him. Isono bowed to the five men as he followed the two princes, while Gaya, on the other hand, smiled and quietly left without any indication of respect towards the Five.

"Nii-sama, wait!"

Seto paused, looking back over his shoulder and waiting for his younger brother to catch up before continuing down the hall.

"Nii-sama, why did you refuse the throne?" Mokuba asked. "You're always talking about the day you'll become King, so why—"

"The King dies," Seto interjected. "And at the same time the Heir to the throne falls ill, while the last two princes are left fairly unscathed. Naturally, any accusations will be directed toward me. I'm sure those idiots think I'm responsible for what happened, and if I had accepted the crown they would likely find some way to use that against me."

A moment of silence followed the two princes as Mokuba understood his brother's meaning. "Then…you won't accept the throne until you cane prove you didn't have anything to do with the attack."

"No."

Mokuba's head snapped up at the second time his brother had spoken the refusal.

"I don't intend to do anything of the sort until Noa is conscious," he said. "If I can help it."

Secretly, Seto had always intended to face Noa in a duel over the crown when the time came since they were children. Noa had always been meek and generally submissive, but Seto had never actually viewed his twin-like brother; when he tried, the Heir could match him in both intelligence and alchemy.

He wanted to face him on equal ground, and become King without deceit.

"That makes me happy."

Seto looked back to find Mokuba smiling.

"I think it would make Noa happy too."

Seto gave the barest hint of a smile to his brother, then looked back at the smiling faces of Isono and Gaya. Isono was quick to cover it with a cough, while the doctor went on smiling warmly.

"Yes?" Seto inquired, turning to face them as he folded his arms.

Gaya rummaged through the pocket of her coat before withdrawing a roll of bandages. "As I said before, I waited."

- - -

Seto sat on the couch as the doctor cut the bandages and finished wrapping his hands.

"Alright," she finished, placing the roll back into her pocket. "They're healing nicely. But try to keep from cutting them any further." She stood up and started for the door.

Seto looked at his freshly bandaged hands. "Gaya…"

"Yes?"

The prince leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "How long have you been in the service of the royal family?"

The woman thought a moment. "A little less than ten years I believe," she replied. "My teacher, as you know, had to attend to other matters and left me to care for you and your brothers in his place."

Seto nodded slowly.

Mokuba, from his place in the armchair to the right of the sofa, looked from his brother to the doctor. He was about to say something, when Seto cut in.

"Isono," the man stepped beside the couch from his place by the door. "I want you to secure Noa's room, no one is allowed in without my or Mokuba's attendance." Noticing the black-haired prince's staring at him, Seto sighed. "And take Mokuba to the gardens, or wherever he wants while I sleep."

The youngest prince, the doctor and the bodyguard all smiled and nodded, leaving the room.

With their departure, Seto fell back on the couch and slung one arm over his eyes. He had stayed up all night to hear what the doctors had to say about Noa and all morning, it was almost noon; he felt had a little right to some rest. But even in his sleep he went over the problems at hand.

Despite what he said, it was only a matter of time before he would be forced to take the throne or was arrested for suspicion of murder. He wanted to become king, yes, but in his own way and not at the whim of Five conniving old geezers. And being thrown in prison for being accused of murdering the King and possibly poisoning the rightful Heir didn't sound like much fun either.

He needed time to cure Noa of whatever it was that the attacker did to him. Seto still had no idea what had actually happened; that light, that strange invisible wall, and that intense pain whenever he came in contact with it. Maybe it had been an Alchemic field of some sort that allowed the attacker the time he needed to inflict the necessary harm on his victim. He must have made Noa swallow the drug or poison he had—Seto remembered Amelda covering his half-brother's mouth.

Whatever substance he had used on Noa didn't seem incredibly harmful; he was apparently fine, simply in a coma. Seto had no knowledge of this type of drug or poison, even if it wasn't deadly; but if it was so harmless it had to have some sort of antidote or cure.

Seto's blue eyes snapped open and sat upright. It seemed, in his thinking, it had only been a few minutes, but it was late evening outside.

If he didn't know of any antidote to it, it was more likely that Amelda, the assailant would. Even if it wasn't poison, he had attacked the royal family and killed the Kings. That was enough to have the youth executed. However, top be executed, Amelda would have to be caught.

- - -

"What!"

Seto sighed exasperatingly as he stood before the King's Five for the second time that day. "You really should consider cleaning out your ears; I don't like having to repeat myself."

The Prince's entrance alone had been so abrupt it had startled the five men speechless, but it was his sudden declaration to leave the kingdom that had struck them dumb.

"But-but-but…! _Why_ are you leaving, Prince Seto?" Ooka asked.

"The assassin that took King Gozaburo's life escaped," Seto said. "If he is not caught, he lives as a threat to the kingdom's well being. It would only stand to reason that someone who witnessed the transgression should be sent after him."

"You are referring to yourself, My Lord?" Inquired Gansly, his tone softening, and the Prince nodded. "Well, it is understandable, then. You must act according to your duty, as several before you have."

Seto folded his arms in front of his chest. "I do, however, have an order for you all…"

"To guard Lord Noa and Prince Mokuba in your absence," Daimon bowed.

"No." Seto's sharp answer again startled them. "I want no one but specific members of the castle guard and medical staff near Noa. That includes you five specifically." Smiling, the prince's eyes seemed to glow. "I hereby order the King's Five to disband."

A series of gasps were followed by objections and demands for an answer.

"You are the 'King's Five,'" the youth said. "Currently, there is no King for you to serve under. Until such time, I want you to leave."

Clearly, the men objected, their combined voices raising and filling the throne room and hurting Seto's ears. He was about to shout back, when a calm voice cut into the fray.

"Really, this is just…completely unbelievable."

All eyes shot to the open doors of the throne room, shocked to find a man few had seen in the past several years but everyone knew. He was tall, broad-shouldered and clad in all white save for his black pants and boots; his hair, beard and mustache were as light grey as it could get before turning white and his eyes were a dark blue-green.

Seto's own blue eyes widened at the sight of the man, shock clear on his face. "Shizuma…!"

The man bowed to the Prince as he entered the room. "I apologize for the interruption…" his gaze shot to the King's Five and narrowed, "…but you really ought to reconsider refusing the Prince's order. Were you not just today trying to convince him to accept the place as King?"

Gansly and the others could only stare at the man in stunned silence.

"You really should look at his command as generous," the man called Shizuma went on. "He said that you are dismissed until Lord Noa regains consciousness, not permanently. So I suggest you take leave in a reasonable manner, with haste."

And with said haste, the King's Five left the throne room and would soon leave the kingdom as well.

One would obviously wonder why the five men had been so revered by Shizuma's appearance, and naturally that person would have to be informed that this man assisted in Gozaburo's birth, followed by the late king's three sons and any other born at that time. Shizuma was, in fact, the best doctor throughout the whole country, as he had been for the past eight decades. No one was sure how he was still appeared so young for his age; some believed he had discovered the Philosopher's Stone, but of course no one could be sure.

"Things certainly have changed," the man sighed. "Advisors talking to the Prince in such a way…"

Seto had finally regained his own composure and looked at the doctor with barely-obvious anxiety. "I didn't think you would be back anytime soon…"

"Prince Seto, I am always here," Shizuma sighed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I am merely kept in a very restricted place, and visited so rarely that people constantly believe I am no longer here. This one woman I met earlier actually thought I had finally died! It's quite a bother."

The blue-eyed prince looked down, at that moment wishing the man had not left that hurtful place and reminded him why he hadn't seen him for so long.

"In any case, you certainly have grown," the doctor said, bringing Seto out of his shadowed thoughts as he measured the prince's height against his own. "You're much taller than your father was at your age." Shizuma paused. "How old are you again? I had it a moment ago, but it slipped by me just now. Sixteen?"

"Nineteen," Seto replied flatly.

"Nineteen!" The man nodded. "I was a year off."

"Three years off," the prince corrected without missing a beat.

"Right, right. Three, six, nine…I forget."

Seto probably would have smiled. As a child, he had visited with Shizuma often and became accustomed to his losing memory and blank moments, actually coming to enjoy them. But now, seeing the doctor again after ten years brought only a little amusement since the prince always remembered why he hadn't seen the man for so long.

"So. What are you doing here?"

Shizuma crossed his arms behind his back. "If I told you that I heard about what happened and came to check on you…"

"…You would be lying," Seto finished. He knew that where Shizuma stayed little to no news of the outside world was given to the people there. "Do I need to repeat my question?"

"No need, I know you dislike repeating yourself," the man waved his hand. "Actually it would only be considered a lie from one's own perspective. Prince Mokuba sent for me." He ignored the jerk and wide-eyed expression of the prince beside him. "He sent a letter explaining what happened and called for my expertise to look Prince Noa over. In fact, he was standing just outside the door when I arrived. I'm sure he heard your proposition."

Seto sighed. "And?"

"Prince Noa wasn't poisoned, as far as I could tell," Shizuma replied. "However, I have decided to at least tell the people he is in a state of shock."

"Shock?"

"If he was witness to Gozaburo's death, it would likely come as quite a blow mentally, much like it was with you, as I heard it." Again, the man ignored the flinch from the prince. "To protect his delicate mind, he would fall into a comatose state to avoid, or come to terms with what he saw. Until the latter, the Prince will sleep."

Seto was certain Shizuma had come up with this hypothesis to at least help give Seto some time in his decision to pursue the king's murderer, and was grateful for it.

"Very well," Seto nodded, proceeding past the man and towards the door. "Extend the 'shock' and let Gaya know."

"She was there when I formulated it, she already knows.

The prince was nearly out the door when he stopped. "How is she…?" He had asked so quietly, no one else would have heard aside from the old sage.

"No better," Shizuma sighed. "But no worse either."

And with that, Seto left the throne room

- - -

He found his brother in the exact garden the attack had taken place as the sky was shifting from red, to purple, to dark blue.

Mokuba stood at the edge of the pond, gazing out at the water. Hearing his brother stop a couple of feet behind him, the boy spared a brief glance over his shoulder before returning his gaze to the crystalline water.

"Mokuba—"

"I'm going with you, Nii-sama," the young prince interjected firmly. "I heard what you told the Five and I'm going too."

"Mokub—"

"I know I'm not very good when it comes to fighting, but I'll be able to help when we're using Alchemy!" Mokuba went on without meeting his brother's gaze, worried that he would lose his nerve if he did.

"Moku—"

"And even if you try to leave me behind, I'll still follow you!" He said. "Noa's my brother too! And I want to save him just as much as—"

"Mokuba!"

The boy flinched at Seto's yell and slowly turned to face him. As Mokuba had feared, his courage to talk back dwindled upon meeting his brother's deep blue gaze.

"I promised a long time ago that I would protect you no matter what, remember?" The younger boy nodded, casting his eyes to the ground. "How can I do that if you are not within my line of vision?"

His eyes widened and shot to his older brother's smirking face. Mokuba's own mouth stretched into a huge grin and he rammed into Seto, giving him a tight hug.

As the two headed back toward the castle, Seto paused to stare at the monument he had alchemized the day of the attack. The blood from Gozaburo's death blow could still be seen, as no one had dared to wash the blood away.

When Seto had created the pillar, he had secretly wanted Gozaburo to see it. He had wanted the King to see it and know that the boy who had not been chosen as the Heir would rise against him and any challenge he set. He had wanted this monument to stand for his own greatness in comparison to that man.

And so it would.

Walking over to it, Mokuba in hesitant tow, Seto stood before the stain of long since dried blood. He started to dig through his pockets for a piece of chalk, but stopped and brought his bandaged hands back out to stare at them.

Gozaburo had been a force to reckon with in battle due to a strange ability no one but those of the royal family had been ever been endowed with. By clapping, he could charge alchemic energy through his limbs and transmute objects without have to draw an array. He recalled Mokuba saying that Gozaburo had drawn an array to fight Amelda and figured that it was due to having only one hand that the late King had resorted to an actual array.

Staring down at his own hands, Seto wondered what would happen if he attempted making his own body an array. Many had tried to copy the King and ended up hurting themselves due to too much or too little energy being charged inside their bodies.

Motioning for his brother to step back, Seto took a deep breath and clapped his hands together. Slamming them against the surface of the pillar, blue lightning danced across the stone surface and the prince watched as the blood seeped into the stone, vanishing without a trace.

Pulling his hands away, relieved that there didn't appear to be any horrible effects from his experiment, Seto released the breath he had been holding.

"Nii-sama…"

Looking back to his beloved little brother, Seto offered a smirk and pat the boy's head gently.

Mokuba looked up into his brother's tired eyes, but only managed a small smile back. A gold glimmer behind Seto caused the younger prince to look away from his brother's face and focus on the approaching light. "What's that?"

Following Mokuba's gaze, Seto turned to the East and caught sight of the glittering gold. Before he could contemplate on what it could possibly be, the gold light shot overhead and disappeared into the setting sun.

Even though it was out of sight, Seto could somehow still see it in the back of his eyes. Shaking the wonder of whatever that thing had been from his thoughts, the two princes returned to the castle to make preparations to leave the next morning.

- - -

Early the next day, before the sun had even risen, Mokuba entered Noa's chambers and met Gaya as she checked in on the comatose prince.

"Any changes?" The boy asked.

"None, sir," the woman shook her head.

Mokuba hadn't really been expecting any and carefully approached the bed. "Could you…give me a few minutes? Alone?" Nodding, Gaya left the room and the boy sat down in the chair sitting beside the bed.

"Noa. Seto and I are going to be leaving for a while. Nii-sama told the old guys that we're going after Amelda to avenge Gozaburo, but I know he's really doing it for you." Mokuba sighed. "I'm pretty sure he thinks you've been poisoned, even though none of the doctors can find any. It's probably because of…her that he thinks that…"

The boy looked back into Noa's sleeping face. "He doesn't want me to know," he whispered. "he wants me to think that she's dead…maybe, in a way she is, but…" Mokuba paused to take a shaky breath. "I think…Nii-sama is over there now… I wish…even if she doesn't remember me…I wish I could see her…"

Tears trailed down the young prince's cheeks and he quickly wiped them away.

"Listen, Noa…" he said. "Whatever's wrong, wherever you are…don't give up. I don't want to see that again…and I know Nii-sama wouldn't be able to take it…'

- - -

Only select nursemaids and doctors stayed in the East tower of the inner castle, and they always would until their only patient was either cured or eventually died. As rarely as the medical staff step out of the tower was how often people came to visit the tower's patient and ruler.

For the first time in ten years, Seto entered the tower. He was clad in black pants, boots and a turtleneck covered by a light blue jacket that went down past his knees, held closed by two black belts, one which held his sword.

He was almost immediately greeted by one of the nursemaids; a woman clad in white with black hair—several white hairs sprouting—done up in a bun and somewhat tired green eyes. "My Lord Prince…" She bowed. "You honor us with your visit, sire."

"I want to see her," Seto said quickly.

Without question, the woman led the prince down the hall and up several stairs to the door of a room Seto remembered entering only once. Staring at it for a long while, he noticed the woman regarding him with a sympathetic expression. "Leave us."

Again, the woman complied and headed back down the stairs.

Turning to face the door again, the prince slowly grasped the handle and turned it, pushing the door open.

It was a spacious room, with a white dressing table to the far right wall and a bed to the far left. Directly ahead of the door, in front of a locked window, sat a woman in a long nightgown as she rocked a cradle and sang a gentle song Seto knew very well.

Her chestnut brown hair went down to her knees and various wisps fell into her face, as if trying to conceal it from view.

The closing of the door caught the woman's attention and her head snapped up, her soft blue eyes meeting the deep sapphire of the prince. But where the latter gaze became uncommonly gentle, the woman's became hard and angry.

"Who are you!" She demanded, reaching into the cradle and pulling a bundle tight to her chest. "You're a soldier, aren't you! I know what you're here for!"

Seto's face remained neutral, with the barest hint of sadness in his eyes. "I came to say good-bye…"

The woman looked to the bundle in her arms, her features softening. "_Sshh_, _sshh_, _sshh_… Hush, little one," she said, bouncing her arms gently. The top of the bundle gave way and Seto could see the face of a doll with brown strings for hair looking back at him with blue buttons for eyes. "Forgive me… You were sleeping so soundly, too…"

Her gaze returned to the prince and she glared coldly. "I will give this child to no one!" She screamed, backing into the corner by the bed. "Seto is my son! He's mine! You can't have him! GO AWAY!"

Seto stared at the quivering woman that was his mother, huddling in the corner. Clutching a doll thought to be him, and her eyes alight with mad fury. He could only imagine the horrible nightmares she was tormented with night after night, but knew his thoughts probably didn't even scratch the surface.

He could still remember the day it all happened clearly…

_The cup sat at the boy's feet, its contents spilled across the floor. _

_The men had managed to drag away his screaming mother a while ago, but he couldn't bring himself to move. As he stayed pressed against the wall, the remaining people began talking amongst each other._

"_The Queen took the cup in Prince Seto's place…" they said. "The wine sent in celebration of his birthday was poisoned… It is an evil poison that drives the mind mad."_

When no cure had been found, Gozaburo had ordered his wife be locked in the tower, to chase her shadows until she died.

Now, Seto watched his mother as he slowly fell to one knew. "I go to shatter the swords of those who have tormented you and your son, My Lady," he said. "Please, live your days in peace."

Carefully backing away the prince spotted a light blue cloth on the bed and picked it up. It had been hers since before he had been born; he remembered her telling him once that a dear friend had given it to her. Carefully tucking it into his jacket, Seto left the East tower.

- - -

Beneath the castle were a series of passages and waterways that only select people knew about. Seto, Mokuba and Noa had discovered the catacombs as children and had often played in the shadowy corridors. Now, Seto and Mokuba mostly used the place for getting out for rides without being noticed.

Using it again for a similar purpose, the two princes led their horses through the dark with Isono and Gaya carrying and lantern as they followed them.

"We'll part here," Seto said when they came to a crossroad of tunnels and turned back to his servant. "It will be up to you to keep things in order until we return. If something happens that you need me back, send letters in every direction addressed to Kaiba. Kaiba Seto."

There was a moment of silence as the Prince spoke the maiden name of his mother before Isono nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Also, accept no well wishers or gifts for Noa. And don't allow any of the Five to return."

"We will take care of him," Gaya said. "In the meantime, 'Kaiba-san,' you and your brother take care of yourselves."

The Prince nodded, urging Alumiss to continue down the path.

"Good-bye," Mokuba said, waving to the woman and man as he led his own horse after his brother's. "Don't take over the kingdom while we're away!"

"I'll try to refrain myself," Gaya called back.

Seto smirked slightly at that. Gaya and Isono were perhaps the most trusted among the castle aside from Shizuma, and he knew they would never betray him.

Setting his eyes ahead, he and his brother made it outside just as the sun was rising. They mounted their horses and headed West.

- - -

- - -

Okay, Author's Notes. Right.

**The King's Five: The Big Five**, duh. But I didn't know all their Japanese names, so I used the ones I knew and left the rest in English.

**Shizuma:** The doctor thought to always be away and older than he looks is based off of one of Kaiba's scientists from the anime; the cool-looking one from when he was running his first test of the new Duel Disc and Obelisk. Look, you can't miss him.

**Seto's Pillar:** a Possible **Alcatraz**? Wait and see.

**Seto's Mother:** She looks like **Kisara**, just with brown hair; reasons later. It's important.

I know that 'Kaiba' was Gozaburo's family name, but I can't have Seto and Mokuba going out with their regular names; they'd be assaulted every five minutes. So, I made 'Kaiba' their mother's maiden name so it could make them less conspicuous on their journey.

Did you know that _Kaiba_ means 'Seahorse'? And _Mokuba_ means 'Rocking horse'. Funny, huh?

**NEXT! CHAPTAH NINE!**

How fairs the Black Dragon Kingdom at the loss of their prince? There was once another female Slayer? The bird reaches its destination, and chains begin to form and link.

_Otana shimi ni_!


	10. Phoenix Light

Moriyasha Neko-hime here! (Bows) And welcome back for another Chapter of **Dragon Kings**!

It took me a while to write this chapter on paper after Eight, the desire was there, but not the urge; I had to scratch away at it for a while, but I did finish it.

Now, heroes of three of the Kingdoms have set out in search of answers, leaders and a cure for the strange sleep their loved ones have been blanketed under.

But what lies in waiting for the Black Dragon Kingdom? What will spur a fourth band into action?

Lo, you must wait and read on.

- - -

- - -

**Chapter Nine: Phoenix Light…**

It was nightfall of the third day since the attack on the castle by the mysterious Rafael. And since that time rain had fallen across the kingdom, as if angels wept for the Black Dragon Kingdom's fallen prince.

Yuugi was alive, much to everyone's relief, but he seemed to be in a deep sleep. The old women of the castle had tried several remedies to stir the prince, but the youth would not wake. It seemed that all anyone could do was to wait for a solution, at least until all the Slayers returned to the Kingdom.

It was commonplace for Slayers to be called out by villages in the Black Dragon region to deal with rampaging monsters; the late King Mutou had insisted on keeping his people safe, hence the forming of the Slayers in the first place.

Clad in a hooded cloak, Katsuya walked down the muddy street to one of the smithies the Slayers used to forge weapons. Making it under a rain cover, the blond cast a glance up to the pouring sky, hoping to find some sign of it clearing up.

When he found no moonlight or starlight, he sighed and entered the smithy.

Though small, the Black Dragon Kingdom was known for its master craftsmen and artisans of metal; it was important in several parts of their society to be able to make weapons and sometimes jewelry. It was rumored that the kingdom's hand forged metals rivaled even the synthesized metals created by the White Dragon Kingdom's alchemists; as the two kingdoms had only ever been known to have gone to war once, it couldn't be said for sure.

Katsuya pulled his hood down as he entered the warm room to find Ryuzaki, despite his arm being in a sling, hammering away at the metal of his current project bearing a determined expression. Honda sat in the corner near the hearth as he re-bandaged his wrist in grim silence.

"Hey…"

The two looked over toward Katsuya as he pulled his cloak off. "Hey, Jou," Ryuzaki waved with his hammer.

"Is your shoulder feeling okay?" The blond asked as he set his dripping cloak on a nearby chair. "Should you be working?"

The slayer cast his black eyes down to the metal. "I feel worse if I'm _not_ working…"

Honda finished tying his bandage with his teeth and leaned his arm across his knee. "How is he? Any improvement?"

Katsuya shook his head with a sigh. "Nothing."

"And…Shizuka?"

The brother of the young woman in question paused. "She's…okay," he finally replied. "Her hands were burned pretty bad, but they should heal okay. The old ladies say that so long as she gets enough rest, she'll be alright."

Honda nodded slowly.

Ryuzaki continued to hammer at the metal. "No she won't," he said, making his friends and fellow slayers look at him. "She'll tear herself down until there's nothing left. Unlike the rest of us, _she_ was right there; _she_ saw what happened up close." He slowed in his pounding. "When she first started training to become a slayer, whenever she made a mistake she would apologize, step down, call herself stupid…"

The youth finally stopped. "You remember? Her first mission was the incident in Hasalm…"

No one would ever forget that mission, not if they could help it.

It was a call that had required the entire Slayer force to gather in one place, both the top slayers and the new recruits. The place had been overrun by undead, and in the end the mission had taken the lives of all the adult men and several rookies in their slaying. Any survivors at all had to be a miracle and a blessing from God.

But despite those who lived, they could never replace those that had died, and there were many. That was why the Slayers mostly consisted of young men now.

"Shizuka was broken," Ryuzaki went on. "But…she pulled herself back up…when…when _she_…"

Katsuya nodded slowly. "Yeah. I know."

Honda scoffed. "If _she_ had been here—"

"HONDA!" Katsuya shouted, making the smithy shake and his friend jump with his glare. "Tons of Slayers were called out at the time!" The blond turned away, his fists clenched tightly. "_She_ left a long time ago! You can't think things would have been any different of She had been here!"

The smithy fell silent save for the sound of the rain on the roof.

Katsuya cross the room to look out the window, his hand straying to the pouch on his side. Inside, his fingers brushed a metal charm attached to a braided strap of leather.

He had crafted it himself as a gift for a very special woman. She had been a Slayer, like him—and had in fact been two years his senior. She had been the real inspiration for Shizuka's becoming a Slayer, and the desire of every man in the kingdom before Katsuya's little sister.

A blonde beauty with eyes like the richest purple velvet.

- - -

Shizuka drearily wandered the castle with no real destination in mind. She really didn't want to think about anything, and so she didn't.

Somehow, she found herself outside. She stood in the training grounds, letting the rain pour over her without care.

Memories resurfaced from their sleep and the young woman tried to recall how many times she had been scolded by the instructors during her training.

"_Too slow!"_

"_How many times do I have to tell you!"_

"_Don't get scared! All it does it slow your reactions!"_

Letting the memories drift back down to their resting place, Shizuka tilted her head back to look up at the darkened sky, content to feel the rain hit her in the face.

She had decided to become a Slayer around the same time her brother had. Where Katsuya felt it would be his rite of passage to becoming a man, Shizuka's reasons were a little different.

She had wanted to feel safe, knowing she could defend herself from the monsters she hated and feared so much. She wanted to overcome those feelings of uselessness and fear that had been planted in her so long ago…

Even now, ten years after the incident, it broke her heart and brought tears to her eyes.

She herself couldn't remember how it had happened, it was all mist and shadow, but after her brother had told her only once she would never forget the images she could only imagine.

Their parents had been doctors, and as it was their duty, they were called to treat villagers that had been caught in the middle of a battle.

Something had happened, another attack of the village was what Katsuya had always suspected, and the two of them had fled to the mountains separating the White and Black Dragon regions. Crossing them, the children had been attacked by the monsters dwelling there. Luckily, they had been saved by a band of Slayers that had been returning from an expedition and taken in by the King of the Black Dragon Kingdom himself.

Shizuka never wanted to feel that defenseless again. She had learned from a good and dear friend how to fight, to protect herself and those she held dear. But despite her training, she had lost to an opponent. She had lost Yuugi…

Falling to her knees, caking her legs with mud, she buried her face in her bandaged hands and cried.

What good was the strength she had obtained if she couldn't protect the people she loved? The answer was she had no strength; she was still that weak little girl wandering in the mountains and always would be.

A pair of hands rested on her wet shoulders, making her look back into a pair of soft blue eyes under a hooded cloak.

"If you stay out in this you're bound to catch a cold," Anzu said softly, standing the girl up and draping some of her cloak over her shoulders. "Come on. You need some sleep."

Shizuka didn't respond aside from following the apprentice advisor back into the castle. Making it to the fiery-haired young woman's room, Anzu helped her change into dry nightclothes and laid her down to bed.

"Don't worry, Shizuka," the young woman whispered, brushing her damp bangs out of her face. "Yuugi will be fine. You'll see." Anzu's words lacked their usual confidence, and both she and Shizuka knew it.

Nonetheless, Shizuka was tired and gladly succumbed to sleep.

- - -

_He was stabbed countless times by the spears of the dark-skinned warriors. The injuries did not show on his black clothes, but it stained his visible skin garnet, making it clash slightly with his fiery red hair._

- - -

Shizuka shrieked, snapping awake, horrified to find herself drenched with blood. She gasped, blinking for a split-second, and the blood was gone.

She stared at her hands as she caught her breath before laying back down. _'Just…a dream…' _

Content that it had only been a dream and she was not injured,Shizuka buried her face in her pillow to dry her tears and sweat and continue sleeping.

However, something would not allow her to rest: a strange light kept her from sleep.

She rolled over to avoid the light, but it seemed to reach far into the back of her eyes. Finally pushing herself up, the young woman opened her eyes to find her room pitch black; but the light still shone from deep inside her eyes.

Pulling herself out of bed, Shizuka crossed her room to the door; the hallway was empty and silent, save for the rain rattling the windows.

Unsure, but compelled, she followed the light in the back of her eyes down the hall and up a flight of stairs. She was surprised she could see and feel it stronger whenever she closed her eyes, and finally resorted to walking with her eyes closed, her hand gripping a banister or gliding across the wall for support.

Shizuka finally came to a door, and looking around she realized it was the door to Yuugi's room.

She had only entered the bedchamber once since the attack and hesitated in seeing her friend in his unnatural sleep again. Taking a deep breath, Shizuka turned the handle and quietly pushed the door open.

Normally, Yuugi's room was very welcoming and colorful, but now it was dark and a little cold. Shizuka approached the bed and looked down into the face of the sleeping prince.

'_Yuugi…'_

The memory of what happened to put him in this state made tears gather in the young woman's eyes and she bowed her head.

'_I'm sorry…'_

Clamping her eyes shut to try and stop the tears, she saw the light again, but it was not emitting from Yuugi; it came from somewhere behind her.

Looking over her shoulder, toward the windows, Shizuka could see a gold light in the distance. Moving closer to the window she focused harder on the light, and realized it was coming straight toward her.

She barely took half a step back before the light burst through the windows, shattering the glass and knocking Shizuka to the floor where she shielded her face from flying glass.

The young woman pushed herself up she found the colors of the room visible and the warmth returning in whirlwind; looking toward the origin of the gold light and wind that filled the room, she found Yuugi glowing. Astonished at the sight of her prince and friend's glowing form, Shizuka rushed to his side with some difficulty due to the wind that surrounded him.

Then, as if nothing had happened, the light faded and the wind died, leaving the room quiet and dark again.

Shizuka grabbed Yuugi's hand, relieved to feel a pulse and sighed. She wondered if the whole thing had been a dream—like the moment with the blood—but cast that theory aside at the window and glass scattered across the floor.

Looking back to Yuugi to make sure he hadn't been hurt, Shizuka noticed something strange about the prince's hair; it looked as though some of his gold bangs had shot up into his hair.

'Was it like that before…?' She wondered. Curious, she touched the gold locks, but immediately snatched her hand back when the prince stirred slightly.

Shizuka kept completely still as the youth moaned sleepily, rubbing his eyes before opening them. The young woman put her hands to her mouth and began trembling, unable to hold back her tears.

The prince sat up, glancing around before his gaze settled on the girl standing beside him.

"Oh, Yuugi!" Shizuka wrapped her arms around him as her tears flowed harder than before. "Thank God you're alright! I've been so worried!"

The youth did not return the embrace. Carefully grasping her shoulders, he pulled the young woman out at arms length.

"Yuugi?" Shizuka looked into the prince's eyes and froze.

The gaze that looked back into her own belonged to someone she did not know, and in turn, someone who did not know her. It was a strong gaze, which was confused but not about to break down or panic at its unfamiliar surroundings.

Brown gazed back into ruby red, and two people from foreign kingdoms met for the first time.

And outside, the rain stopped.

- - -

- - -

_Jaan jaa_!

What did you think? I was a little anxious because there wasn't a whole lot of talking on Shizuka's part in this chapter, and it seemed pretty short, but it seems to have turned out okay.

Can anyone guess what just happened?

Does anyone know why it happened?

**(Shrugs)** Me neither. **(Flips open fan with the Kanji for _Liar_)** Well, I don't know when I'll get the urge to write CHAPTER TEN (woo-hoo!), but I'll try to make it quick.


	11. Call From the West

I haven't said this for a while, but…

I don't own anything except the story idea and maybe a couple of other things.

- - -

- - -

**Chapter Ten: Call From the West…**

"Who are you?"

That was the first thing the stranger said to her.

'_This isn't Yuugi,'_ something inside Shizuka said the longer she looked at him. _'This is NOT Yuugi.'_

The 'Not-Yuugi' also had had scrambled warnings jumbling through his own thoughts, but he would not demean himself to becoming like a mouse in the jaws of a jackal; he would hold himself high and act as his position demanded. Though he had to admit, he had never heard of anything remotely like this happening to any of his ancestors.

What _had_ happened? He could remember vaguely.

Malik, the riverside temple, that paler youth—Valon, he believe he called himself—that strange light, and then sleep. They must have abducted him; that was the only explanation he had.

The youth pushed the thick blankets covering him off and stepped onto the floor—it was completely carpeted, not the soft marble floors he was used to—as he put a few feet between him and the young woman he had woken up to.

"Who are you?" He demanded. "Where am I? Why have you brought me here?"

Shizuka could only stare, her voice inoperable. She knew whoever talking to her wasn't her friend and Prince, but who was he?

Looking him over, she could again feel that energy behind her eyes. She was a little hesitant to close her eyes while in the presence of a mental stranger, but listened to the nagging feeling that had brought her here to begin with and allowed her eyes to shut.

Amazingly she could still see the stranger, and was more astounded at what he truly looked like. Had it not been for his dark skin and a slight difference in his hair, he could have stood as Yuugi's twin, they looked almost exactly alike. In her closed eyes, Shizuka could see that his clothes were also quite different from her own prince's attire and he wore gold jewelry that would astound any smith of her kingdom.

Opening her eyes again, Shizuka stared at the person now inhabiting Yuugi's body wide-eyed. "Who are you…?"

"First answer me," the person said, folding his arms across his chest. "I may consider answering you after."

Sighing, the female slayer stood up. "My name is Kawai Shizuka. This is the Black Dragon castle."

The stranger looked around, his eyes revealing some surprise and wonder as to how he came to be in this strange place. "And why have you brought me here?"

"I didn't," Shizuka said.

"You lie!" The person shouted. "A pale-skinned young man attacked me in my own palace temple! And now I find myself here, with a paler young woman! Where should I believe you did not take part in this?"

Shizuka stopped at his mention of an attack. _ 'Could it have been like with Yuugi…?'_ She wondered, but decided to calm the angered victim before her first.

"Yu—Sir…I ask that you please quiet down," she said, stepping closer only to have him step back.

"I demand you tell me what I am doing here!"

Shizuka had no idea what to explain or how to start, when noticed a mirror sitting a little ways behind him; although it would no doubt shock him, she had to show him.

"Look in there," she pointed. "In that mirror."

The stranger looked at the object hanging on the wall, then back at Shizuka. He soon decided to follow her directions and stepped in front of the looking glass.

His ruby eyes widened at the reflection looking back at him. It was his face, but his skin was far too pale. Putting his hands to his face, he rubbed his eyes; when he looked again he found no changes. He ran his hands across his face, as if trying to wipe something away—most likely make-up or something—but still nothing changed.

"What have you done to me!"

Shizuka dashed over to him. "Listen—whoever you are—this is not your body," she said. "This is my friend's—my prince's body. A couple nights ago we were attacked and the man did something to him; he's been asleep since that attack." She paused, recalling the gold light that broke through the window and entered Yuugi's body.

"You said that you were attacked, right?" The youth hesitated, but nodded. "Maybe whatever happened to Yuugi also happened to you. But… Who are you? Where are you from?"

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, the stranger straightened and met the girl's eyes. "I am the Morning and the Evening Star, ruler of the Golden Sands, I am the King of the Gold Dragon Kingdom, High Pharaoh Atem."

Shizuka took a moment to sort through all of what he had said. "Atem-_sama_…" She decided. "Do you know how you got here?"

The youth named Atem thought a moment. "I recall green light," he said. "I…blacked out."

The young woman knew it had to be the same light that had surrounded Yuugi and Rafael that night. "Is that all?"

"Wait!" Atem put his hand to his head. "Wait, I remember …something. There was…gold light, I flew past gold light. Red light… White light…" He paused. "There was a strange sound that drew me here."

"What sound?" Shizuka asked.

Atem could barely recall it; it was someone whispering, but their voice was mixed with the snapping of a fire so he couldn't make out any words. But it had been so familiar, almost like his own voice.

He shook his head. "I don't know."

For a time, silence reigned through the dark room as both fell deep into their own thoughts. Both were confused about the entire situation.

Then the bigger problem sprang into Shizuka's thoughts: someone was inhabiting Yuugi's body.

How would the people be able to handle it? How would the Queen?

"Atem-_sama_!" Shizuka grabbed his shoulders. "We need to do something! When others find out that you're not Yuugi, they're going to panic!"

Atem stared wide-eyed; back in his own domain no one ever dared speak to him without permission, much less touch him. It was perhaps the largest offense he had ever been dealt, but it had come as too much of a shock for him to do anything about it.

Shizuka's own mind raced, but not on the same road as the prodigal Pharaoh's and she began spouting out her thoughts.

She had to keep this a closed book, but what could she possibly do? They couldn't pretend that he was still in a coma, he had to move sometime; they couldn't possibly tell anyone that their Prince was now possessed by another spirit, the slayers would possibly hurt him.

"Ohhh!" She mussed up her red hair. "What can we do!"

Atem had recovered from his shock, and also realized what the girl had been saying. Back in his own kingdom the priests and shamans dealt with conjuring out spirits that ailed or possessed people, they themselves integrated with those that passed on.

But he had no idea how these foreigners dealt with this sort of thing.

"Your prince…"

Shizuka looked up. "What?"

"Your prince's name…?" Atem inquired.

"Yuugi," the young woman replied. "Why?"

Atem had an idea, but was not sure if it could be pulled off. "I could try to pose as your prince until we can find a way to explain all of this."

It was stupid. A ridiculous idea. It would never work.

"But what else can we do?" Shizuka sighed submissively.

- - -

The two sat in Yuugi's room the rest of the night talking, mostly about Yuugi himself, but occasionally about the attacks on their two kingdoms.

Shizuka was surprised that the attacks hadn't been by the same person, but supposed that they probably couldn't if they were in completely different places. She found Atem rather strange, much different than her dear friend by the way he carried himself and seemed to demand respect and acknowledgement.

Atem steadily became interested in the prince he would be filling the role of the more Shizuka told him. Yuugi spent time with his people on a regular basis, he worked the same way they did and seemed to prefer it that way. To the Pharaoh this was strange, but at the same time very intriguing.

Soon, dawn broke.

- - -

Shizuka paced back and forth in front of the door in Yuugi's room nervously.

"Kawai Shizuka."

The young woman looked back at the bed where the supposed Prince sat. "Yes?"

"You will have to stay calm if we are to make this work," Atem said.

Shizuka took a deep breath. "I guess I'm just worried about a lot of things," she said. "Where Yuugi is, if he's okay…and now there's _this_. I can't calm down."

Atem stared at the fiery-haired young woman intently. "Kawai Shizuka."

She looked back again. "Yes?"

"What exactly is your relationship with your prince?" He asked. "You seem rather familiar with him."

"Well…Yuugi's father—the late King Mutou—took me and my brother in when we were kids, so we grew up together. I think of Yuugi as a second brother."

Atem took this into consideration. He never had any siblings, though he believed he had found something akin to it. Atem drooped slightly as he remembered what he had discovered and been forced to leave behind. He would have to get back to his own kingdom and his own body somehow.

It was then that the door opened and in stepped Queen Hikari and her attendant.

Everything in the room froze as Shizuka and Atem met the Queen's own startled gaze. She put one trembling hand to her mouth as tears gathered in her eyes.

"Yuugi…?"

Atem managed a smile. "Mother…"

The Pharaoh wasn't sure when she made it from the door, but Queen Hikari suddenly had her arms around him and was holding him as she cried.

"Thank God…" She whispered. "Thank God you're alright…!"

Atem's eyes widened as he felt a strange stirring in his chest and he shakily returned the embrace. He could vaguely recall his mother holding him like this when he was a child and she had been alive, but what was this feeling now?

"Mother…" Atem spoke the word again, leaning his head on her shoulder. "Mother…"

Shizuka blinked at the strange sight. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought it _was_ Yuugi sitting there hugging his mother; it looked the same way it always had.

The rest of the day consisted of letting all of Yuugi's closest friends have a chance to see the awakened prince. In all honesty, Shizuka felt terrible lying about Yuugi and with each happy face that came to see him, she felt worse.

"Yuugi!" Katsuya and Ryuzaki came running in at last. "Bless the stars! I was worried as all hell!"

Atem looked at Shizuka who stood by the door as she nodded. The blond was her brother, Jounouchi Katsuya, and the other…

"Ryuu…zaki…?" Atem chuckled a little.

The youth blinked, both at the way his name had been said and the acting Prince's chuckle. "Prince?"

"Zaki," he said. "Zaki. It's just…" The frantic waving of Shizuka's arms gave him enough of a sign to stop. "It's nothing. Nevermind. I am glad to see that you are both alright. Especially you, because of your arm."

Ryuzaki nodded. "Yeah, likewise. We were worried sick about you."

"Phenomenally!" Katsuya said. "Do you know what happened or who that guy was?"

Atem shook his head. "I do not. I do wonder, nonetheless."

Katsuya sighed. "Someone who would have the gall to attack the castle and the prince! We've never had to deal with humans causing that much of a problem for us before."

At that, the Pharaoh blinked. "Truly?"

Katsuya and Ryuzaki stopped. "Yuugi, you would know that better than anyone."

"Ah!" Atem glanced at Shizuka for a split-second. "I apologize, my memory is vague. I must still be tired."

"Yeah…" Ryuzaki said slowly. "We probably should let him get some rest, he is still recovering."

Katsuya was about to object—even when Yuugi was sick the two of them would sit and talk until the prince fell asleep—but he stopped when Ryuzaki put his good hand on his shoulder. The blond slayer met his other friend's black eyes which were, as usual, partially hidden by his lavender bangs.

The slightly smaller slayer's gaze seemed to drive a message and Katsuya nodded slowly.

"Yeah, you're right," he smiled. "It's been a long day, you're probably worn out. Would you like me to stay with you for a bit, least until you fall asleep?"

"No, thank you though," Atem smiled back.

Katsuya's smile faltered, but was back again as he stood up. "Well, get better soon," he said. "We're gonna need you up and about pretty quick!"

And with that, the two slayers left.

Shizuka sighed and leaned back against the wall. "That was close!"

Atem shifted the covers a bit before settling back again. "Kawai Shizuka…"

"Yes?"

Atem put his hand to his chest. "When the Queen came in, I felt something in my heart," he said. "And just now, with your brother and Ryuu Zaki I felt something similar." He paused. "Now that I think about it, when you hugged me that first time—when you thought I was Yuugi—I felt something too."

Shizuka came and sat down in the chair by the bed. "What did it feel like?"

"I am not sure," the Pharaoh said. After a moment of thinking he straightened up. "Perhaps it is Yuugi's heart reacting." He caught Shizuka's confused expression. "I am housed in this body, but it is not my own; the heart belongs to your prince. Perhaps it still reacts to the people he cares about…"

"That can happen?" The young woman asked, truly amazed.

"I suppose that it can," Atem replied.

For Shizuka this brought some relief and happiness; it could mean that whatever happened to Yuugi he was still alive.

- - -

The following day, Shizuka took Atem out into the garden upon his request.

"Don't you have gardens back in the Gold Dragon Kingdom, Atem-_sama_?" She asked as she watched the Pharaoh's confused and amazed reactions to the different plants he came across.

"Yes, of course, but nothing like this!" He replied, gingerly touching the petals of a sunflower that reached his shoulder. "It's mostly springs, rivers and fountains. There are water lilies and some trees, but they're fruit trees and don't flower that often."

Shizuka had heard stories about the desert, but had never heard of this. "Must be rough."

Atem spotted a bush of thorny, white flowers and hesitated in going toward it; it looked ominous. Almost like one of the oasis-dwelling creatures he had heard stories about.

"Those are roses," Shizuka said, noticing the attention of his gaze. "Don't be scared of it, Atem-_sama_, it's just a plant."

"I never mentioned my being afraid," the Pharaoh said, clearly annoyed at either her talent of noticing things or voicing his desire to be reassured.

Shizuka smiled and approached the bush; taking out her knife, she cut off a small bloom. "Here," she held it out to him.

"What?"

"Go ahead, take it."

Atem hesitated, but took it nonetheless. "Does Yuugi…like these?"

The young woman shrugged. "I think so. I sometimes see him giving the Queen huge bouquets." She watched him as he spun the flower around between his fingers. "Did you get another feeling?"

Atem nodded. "It is very strange. I can tell the difference between our feelings, but they are also quite similar." He kept the flower.

Shizuka followed after him as he continued walking down the garden path. Seeing him move, she could see several differences between the Pharaoh and her missing friend; Atem walked with his hands in fists, while Yuugi would leave his hands open.

"I wonder what we should do," she sighed.

"About…?"

"About _this_!" Shizuka pointed at him. "You can't play prince for long, there are plenty of similarities between the two of you, but also enough differences that someone is bound to catch on pretty fast."

Atem nodded. "I have wondered about this also."

"It's obviously something involving magic," the young woman said. "But no one uses magic in the Black Dragon Kingdom, all the sorcerers and mages and such died ages ago."

"Perhaps we can return to _my_ kingdom," Atem suggested. "My priests deal with spiritual problems regularly, I'm sure they could put me back into my own body."

"But what about Yuugi?" Shizuka asked. "He's still out there, somewhere."

Atem could not leave everything with that. Despite all the strange things, this Yuugi was still in some sort of danger and Atem had come to like what he had been told about him. He could not return to his own body and leave this Prince to wither away without a soul.

However, before he could begin to devise any sort of solution, an unfamiliar voice spoke.

_**/Atem/**_

The world spun and the prince fell to the ground.

"Yuugi! Atem-_sama_!" Shizuka rolled him onto his back to find his eyes void of color and light. _'No. Not again,'_ she pleaded to Heaven and began shaking the youth. "Wake up! Atem! Atem!"

The Pharaoh heard the young woman's voice, but it gradually faded to a distant murmur. He seemed to be floating high above the kingdom; he could see everything and nothing at the same time.

_**/My Lord Pharaoh, Atem/**_

He looked up or down, he wasn't sure, and found a man of his nation before him. His robes almost matched the color of the desert sands that lay so far to the East, but his eyes were the deepest shade of blue he had ever seen and reflected no light.

_Who are you?_

**_/I am called Shadi/_** the stranger bowed. **_/I am he who called you to this kingdom/_**

Atem should have been upset, offended, angry, but for some reason was completely calm. _Why?_

**_/To protect you/_** Shadi replied, rising from his bow. **_/You can stay here no longer, Pharaoh. You must depart/_**

Had he been completely aware he would have demanded answers, but in this dreamlike state he merely asked the question he often heard his messengers inquire. _To where?_

Shadi turned around and pointed. **_/Head to the West/_** he said. **_/Come to the place where Earth meets Ocean, cross the water to a sacred isle. There will you find me/_**

_Are the others there with you also?_ Atem asked.

At this, Shadi shook his head. **_/The maiden with hair like fire will accompany you. She will protect you/_**

And with that, Atem blinked back to consciousness, Shizuka holding him with obvious panic and fear in her features.

"Atem!"

Feeling a little stiff and uncomfortable on the ground he sat up and rubbed his face. "What happened?"

"You just dropped!" Shizuka said. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Atem shook his head. "No, I am alright," he replied. Looking back at her he again saw her concern, and he responded to an urge without thinking.

Shizuka's eyes widened when Atem pat her head comfortingly. "A-A-Atem…!"

The Pharaoh stopped and lifted his hand away. "I-I-I-I…" He had absolutely no idea what to say in response to what he had just done.

"Shizuka!"

The two turned as Katsuya and Ryuzaki approached up the path; Shizuka stood up and helped Atem stand also as the two men joined them.

"_Doshitano_, _Onii-chan_?"

Katsuya eyed Atem for a short moment. "Her Majesty wants to talk to you two."

Shizuka looked at Atem who returned her looked before bending down to pick up the rose he had dropped; the two proceeded to follow her fellow slayers into the castle. Her heart began to race as they neared the throne room; Queen Hikari usually talked to her in the library or garden or somewhere comfortable.

The doors of the throne room opened and they stopped at the foot of the dais. Atem looked around, thoroughly impressed at the architecture of the throne room; it was much lovelier than most of the castle, he had not been expecting it.

"Is it really so unfamiliar, my son?" Queen Hikari asked from her throne. "You come in here every day."

Atem started and smiled. "No, of course not," he replied.

Katsuya and Ryuzaki stood on either side of the dais dutifully. Now Shizuka knew something was up.

"Why don't you come up here, Yuugi," the woman motioned to the throne beside her own. "I'm sure you must be a little tired from your stroll."

Atem glanced at Shizuka, who bore a grim expression, and then looked back at the mother of the prince he inhabited. Carefully, he climbed the steps of the dais and stood before the throne of the ruler of the Black Dragon Kingdom.

He felt something in his heart again, and again he recognized this feeling. He had felt this when he accepted the crown of his forefathers, when he sat in the throne after his father died. It was Yuugi's heart stirring for the place of his father. And his own stirred for preparing to sit in a place that was not his.

Atem put his hand to the back of the throne, feeling the purple velvet before looking back at the Queen. "You already know that I am not your son, don't you?"

The woman sighed. "I had my suspicions…"

Atem smiled sadly. "I am sorry, My Lady."

"Okay," Katsuya said, moving closer to the Queen. "If you're not Yuugi, who are you? How did you get here?"

"I am Atem, King and Pharaoh over the Gold Dragon Kingdom far to the East," the youth replied. "I am unsure how I came to be here in this body…" The memory of his vision in the garden entered his thoughts.

"So this is the _Prince's_ body?" Ryuzaki asked, clearly surprised.

Shizuka dashed to Atem's side as her brother lunged forward.

"You possessed Yuugi while he was helpless!" The blond boomed.

"It was not my choice," Atem replied.

"It wasn't, _Onii-chan_!" Shizuka insisted. "I was there when he woke up; it was as much of a surprise for him."

"You knew of this, Shizuka?" Queen Hikari asked.

The young woman nodded. "Yes. I didn't want anyone to panic about it…"

The Queen nodded and looked back at the youth standing behind the slayer. "Atem-_sama_, was it?" The Pharaoh nodded. "How did you come to be here?"

The next few minutes were filled with the explaining of the attack back in Atem's country and his waking up in Yuugi's room, in Yuugi's body.

"So it happened there, too…?" The Queen murmured.

"At first, I thought it had been you people who abducted me," Atem said. "Thankfully, Shizuka corrected me on that."

"But even so, you can't stay like this," Katsuya said. "You need to get back in your own body and let Yuugi out."

"I would gladly do both," the Pharaoh said. "However, I cannot reach my own body from here, even through meditation, and your prince is not here."

"What!" Katsuya and Ryuzaki jumped forward with a start.

"Yuugi does not dwell inside this body now," Atem said. "His spirit has long since been separated from here."

"Meaning what!" Katsuya demanded.

"Yuugi is gone…" Queen Hikari said quietly. "My son is gone…"

Atem stared at the woman and his heart hurt. "He is not dead, Lady," he said. "His heart still lives, which means he does also."

"But where is he?" The woman asked.

Atem shook his head. "I do not know. But…I believe I know where we can find out." Everyone turned their eyes to him; Shizuka looked exceptionally interested. "To the West…where the Earth meets Ocean…a sacred isle… There is a man there who seems to know what is going on now."

"How do you know?" Shizuka asked.

"I spoke with him when I passed out in the garden," the Pharaoh replied. "He apparently put me in Yuugi's body and is now wanting me to come to him."

"And you expect us to trust this guy? To trust you?" Katsuya asked. "How can we?"

"Because I trust him!" Shizuka shouted, surprising everyone. "Atem would not lie!"

Queen Hikari was the first to recover from the shock. "Shizuka…"

"He only lied about being Yuugi because I told him we needed to hide him!" The young woman went on. "He would never do anything to hurt any one of us!"

"How long have you known him, Shizuka?" The Queen inquired. "How far would you place your trust in this stranger?"

"Two nights, a day and a half," she replied. "But…I know Atem wouldn't lie, especially about this! And I trust him enough that I'm willing to go with him!"

The throne room was silent for a time. Shizuka had only ever been known to speak out like that once, Atem somehow knew that.

A soft sigh came from the Queen.

"West?" Atem looked to the Queen with a start before nodding. And for the first time since he came into the throne room, the woman gave a genuine smile. "It has been a long time since anyone has recorded a quest from our kingdom."

Katsuya and Ryuzaki jerked. "Highness?"

"Shizuka, Atem-_sama_… You will venture to the West, find the isle and the man…and return my son to me," the Queen said.

Shizuka smiled for reasons unknown, even to herself.

"Highness!" Katsuya placed one hand on the armrest of her throne. "You can't be serious!"

"I am completely serious," she nodded. "If Shizuka places so much faith in this king and his vision, I will not doubt her. Besides, we need to know what has happened to Yuugi."

Katsuya seemed to deflate a little as he removed his hand from the Queen's throne. But glancing at Atem and Shizuka, he straightened back up again. "Then I'm going too!"

"No one saw that coming," Ryuzaki muttered, but everyone heard him.

Queen Hikari smiled. "It is settled. Your journey begins tomorrow." With that, Shizuka and Atem, followed by Katsuya, left the throne room.

In all honesty, Shizuka never wanted to leave the kingdom; it had first been when she and her brother had been offered to be taken back to wherever it was they came from. Her resolve was strengthened after the incident in Hasalm, and since then she had never gone out with any of the other bands of slayers to help the villages of the Black Dragon territory.

And yet, here she was, volunteering and actually leaving.

"Shizuka…"

Her attention turned to the Pharaoh. "Yes?"

"For trusting me…" he said.

"Yes?"

Atem clearly wanted to say something in the away of gratitude, but wasn't exactly sure how.

"How about a 'thank you'?" Katsuya suggested.

Atem had never thanked anyone before, his status never required it, but with the help of Yuugi's heart moving inside him, it wasn't as hard as he thought it would be.

"Thank you…"

The young woman smiled. "You're welcome!" They came to a corner where it split off into two halls. "I'm going this way," she said. "_Onii-chan,_ could you help Atem get his stuff ready."

"Yeah, sure." The blond obviously didn't want to.

"And be nice!" She called as she ran off, her hair flowing and waving like a fire.

At that realization, Atem stared after her.

'_The maiden with hair like fire will accompany you,'_ the man called Shadi had told him. Had he somehow known what Shizuka would do?

"Oi, come on!"

Atem looked back at Katsuya with a flat expression that usually told his subjects he was not pleased. "I do bear a name."

"Yeah, I know," the blond said. "But I know it's not Yuugi, so it'll be too weird to call you anything else."

The Pharaoh followed after the blond with a sigh and a shake of his head. "So, when did you start suspecting me?"

"Day one," Katsuya replied. "Yuugi always calls me 'Jounouchi-_kun_.' And no matter how tired or sick he was, he would always let me stay around and talk to him."

Atem nodded. "And you told Ryuzaki?"

The head of blond hair shook from side to side. "Nah. He figured it out on his own and gave me the idea," he said. "I guess his started when you said his name; Yuugi hasn't laughed at the 'zaki' part of his name since we were kids."

Atem smiled at that and sighed. "I apologize for my deceit."

"And you talk different too," Katsuya said. "You're gonna have to work on that while we're on the road." They started climbing the stairs leading to Yuugi's room. "Be sure to pick out an outfit that won't make you stand out too much, and find some good walking shoes."

"Don't you have horses?" Atem asked.

"They're all with the Slayers that are out around the country," Katsuya replied. "We're gonna have to walk it until we can buy some, maybe in the next country or something."

"We're walking!" Atem sounded more amazed than his schooled features let on. Even so, the wide-eyed expression was enough to make Katsuya break out laughing.

- - -

The day began early for Shizuka, though she knew they wouldn't be setting out until noon. She set her bag on her bed and checked herself over in the mirror sitting a few feet in front of her bed.

She wore a black turtleneck, sandy-colored pants that tucked into black boots, and her shirt was covered by a gray-blue jacket whose sleeves tied up slightly out of the way of her hands and a hem that only went down to her waist. She pulled on her belt with her pouch and short sword, followed by her regular sword. She carried other throwing knives and gas bombs in her jacket, as a regular everyday precaution as a slayer, but they couldn't be seen at all.

There was a knock on the door. "Shizuka!" It was Anzu.

"Come in!"

The door opened and the well-figured woman stepped in. "Shizuka, I just heard that you, Jounouchi and even Yuugi were leaving today!"

Shizuka nodded. "That's right."

"Why? What for?"

"You're an apprentice advisor," Shizuka said. "If you don't know now, you will eventually." Anzu clearly wasn't happy to have her own speech given back to her. "We just have to go find something."

"What?"

Shizuka sighed. "I don't know." She grabbed her bow from the corner of the room and pulled her backpack onto her shoulders. "But when we find it, I'll send you a letter."

Anzu sighed and followed the young woman out of the room and down the hall. "Write me anyway," she said. "I want to know what you're doing everyday."

"Not likely, Anzu-_san_!" Shizuka laughed.

The two made it out to the courtyard, where Katsuya sat on the steps waiting for them.

"Onii-chan!" Shizuka dashed over to her brother's side. "Has At—Yuugi come out yet?"

"Not yet, he's still up in his room getting ready probably," Katsuya said and then laughed. "He seemed a little surprised that we'd be walking for a few days, he's probably trying to find the right look!"

Shizuka looked appalled. "Did you tease him!"

Anzu looked a little confused, but before she could voice it, Ryuzaki came up carrying a bundle under his good arm.

"I really don't understand why you're doing this," he said. "But there's no use in trying to talk you out of it, it there?"

Shizuka shook her head.

"Why?"

She shrugged. "I feel that I have to."

Ryuzaki sighed and pulled out the two bundles under his arm and held them out. "Here; I've been working on these for a while."

Shizuka took one and passed the other to Katsuya; they unbound the cloth to find metal face masks in their hands.

"I know that…when we're using our bombs…you two have a really strong sense of smell and, uh…you sometimes pass out…so I—" Ryuzaki cut of as Shizuka hugged him. The slayer turned a light shade of pink, but accepted the gesture sheepishly.

"Thanks, man," Katsuya pat his friend's good shoulder. "I appreciate this." He then noticed Honda standing a couple yards away and separated from the group.

"I still don't get what's going on," Katsuya's friend said. "When are you gonna tell me the truth?"

"Not anytime soon," the blond smiled. "I don't know how long we'll be gone. But I promise I'll tell you everything when I can."

Honda looked past Katsuya at Shizuka as she talked with Anzu and Ryuzaki. "You'll look after her, right…?"

Katsuya followed his gaze. "You know I will." He caught his fellow slayer and friend's expression. "Honda…"

"I don't care if she said no," he said. "I still…"

"I know," the blond patted Honda's shoulder. "She'll be fine, don't worry. I need you to look after things here."

Honda nodded. He then cast his gaze up the stairs and his eyes widened. Katsuya followed his attention and his own eyes widened.

Soon the whole courtyard was quiet at the sight of their prince and Queen standing at the top of the stairs. Atem was dressed in black pants and a sleeveless black shirt, a turquoise band tied around his left arm and a dark blue cloak around his shoulders. The Queen was dressed in a light purple cloak with the hood pulled up.

He made his way down the stairs, Queen Hikari in tow, and made it to Shizuka's side. He glanced around, only to have the people staring look away.

"Is something the matter?" He asked.

"Yuugi doesn't dress like that!" Shizuka whispered.

Atem looked himself over. "I don't see why not, they were in his wardrobe." Shizuka groaned.

Katsuya walked up. "You like being conspicuous, don't you?"

"It was a part of my place as Pharaoh to—" Shizuka covered his mouth with a hiss.

"No one else is supposed to know!"

"Shizuka, Katsuya…" The two turned their attention to the Queen. "I hope that your journey will be safe and any obstacles you meet, you can overcome."

The two nodded. "Thank you, Highness."

She then turned to Atem, pulling a sword and belt from out of her cloak. "This was my husband's sword, I want you to have it."

"No! I couldn't possibly—"

"Please," the woman urged. "If only to make me feel you are kept safe by the spirit of my husband." Atem sighed, hesitating a moment more before accepting the sword. Queen Hikari then pulled out what looked like a braid of hair. "And this, so that you are kept safe by my own spirit."

Atem's eyes widened and with shaking hands took the hair. He wanted to say something, but nothing seemed significant enough and he could only embrace the woman called mother.

A few more moments passed before Atem let go. "Thank you, for everything you've done for me," he said. "I promise to you, I will bring your son home."

Together with Shizuka and Katsuya, the three set off down the road and out of the kingdom, waving back to their friends and companions as they disappeared over the hill.

Anzu sighed. "I still feel like I have no idea what's going on."

"Be happy that you don't," Ryuzaki said. "I know and I still don't get it." With that, he turned and walked back into the castle.

Queen Hikari watched after the group that would travel far from home for what seemed like hours before turning to head back into the castle, pulling her hood down to reveal short hair.

- - -

- - -

Weird and kinda long, but again important.

The only two mentions would probably be Atem's outfit, he wore this when Yuugi set him and Anzu up on that date, and Yuugi's mom originally had short hair and I just wanted to tie that into the story.

Expect the next chapter to have two groups meeting up! Woo-Hoo! I'm so happy I can finally get the story moving!

Anyway, look forward to the next chapter.


	12. Between Slayers and Pharaohs

Prepare to be amazed!

Two of the groups meet in this chapter! **_(Jaan-Jaa!)_**

I am _soooo_ happy to have made it this far! I can finally start all those adventures these kids have to go through before meeting Shadi!

Oh, I forgot to make a mention at the end of the last chappy. The face masks Ryuzaki made are like the ones the _Youkai_ exterminators in **_Inuyasha_** use, y'know, like Sango's.

Anywho, let's go!

- - -

- - -

**Chapter Eleven: Between Slayers and Pharaohs…**

Shizuka sat at the base of the tree alongside Atem, while Katsuya lay on his back chewing on a piece of honeysuckle, as she looked over the map.

"How long until we make it out of the Black Dragon region?" The Pharaoh asked, leaning to the side to look at the paper.

"We should be out by tomorrow if we walk through the rest of the day," Shizuka replied.

"Hmm…" Atem took the map to observe their course. "We could probably go faster if we—"

"We don't have any horses," Katsuya said. "And we don't have enough money to buy any either."

Atem sighed, leaning back against the tree. "Can't we use Yuugi's influence?"

"It's a good idea, but we're trying to keep a low profile for now, especially since we're so close to crossing the border between the Red and Black regions," Katsuya replied.

It had been a little less than three days since they had left the capital, and so far things had gone smoothly, Atem simply felt they were moving too slowly. He continued to remind himself that he was not in his realm and that several things were done differently, but he still didn't appreciate the slow pace.

"Well, I think we've rested long enough," Shizuka said, folding the map back up and putting it in her belt pouch as she stood up. "We should keep going."

Atem and Katsuya rose up off the ground, dusting the grass from their clothes, grabbed their bags and continued off down the road.

"You mentioned the border between your kingdom and another?" Atem inquired.

"The Red Dragon Kingdom," Shizuka said.

"Are you at war with that kingdom?"

"Oh no," the young woman chuckled. "_Onii-chan_…he just over-exaggerates."

"What about?"

At this, Shizuka looked to her brother to answer the Pharaoh's question, at which the blond sighed. "It's nothing serious, or incredibly personal," he said, but the youth that had once housed his best friend continued to stare and wait for a real answer. "They use magic and stuff to protect their villages and their capital from attack by people and monsters. The monsters that eventually give up move on, usually into our region and cause problems to our people."

Atem thought about this. "So you feel the more good they do for their people, they are causing more problems for your own."

"Kind of," Katsuya shrugged.

They continued walking for a little while longer, when Katsuya raised his hand to halt his sister who in turn stopped the Pharaoh.

"What is it?" Atem asked.

"_Onii-chan_?"

The blond sniffed the air, turning in the direction of the breeze. "Come on!"

They dashed down the road and soon came into view of a small settlement. Making it into the village, Katsuya began asking around about any disturbances, but no one reported any.

"What is it?" Atem asked again, standing closer to Katsuya in the hopes of getting an answer this time.

"I've got a good nose, I can smell blood or any sort of bad smell for miles," the blond said. "I can tell when there's a monster around too. And there's one pretty close by."

Atem blinked. He had heard them talk about this frequently, but he never actually thought he would be witness to a slaying.

Katsuya seemed to find the source of the disturbing smell, which seemed to come from beneath a nearby house. "Shizuka, would you mind talking to the owners while I get everything ready?"

The young woman nodded and tugged on Atem's armband. "Stay with _Onii-chan_, Atem-_sama_," she said. "It's a little dangerous for people, having a monster on the loose."

"I can take perfect care of myself, Kawai Shizuka," Atem said crossly, folding his arms in front of his chest haughtily. She shrugged in response and went around to the front door of the house.

After taking a good deal of time convincing the family inside the house to empty it, Shizuka tied up her hair and pulled on the metal face mask Ryuzaki had made for her.

"_Onii-chan_!" She called, readying her sword. "I'm ready!"

On the other side of the house, Katsuya crouched beside a small fire and a few yards to his left stood Atem in front of a similar fire. "Okay!" He turned to his male traveling companion. "_Oi_, Atem! You ready?"

The Pharaoh tugged at the bandanna tied around the lower half of his face and eyed the fan in his hand dubiously. "What exactly am I doing?" He called.

"We're smoking the guy out!" Katsuya replied. "The only exits are where the three of us are standing, so if we smoke up the first two, he'll have to leave through the one Shizuka's guarding. If he doesn't decide to stay down there and die."

Atem went rigid. A young woman would be charged with killing the creature? The thought was appalling! There was no way she could do it!

"But why _her_!" He asked, in the hopes of helping the blond youth to change his mind. "Can't _she_ smoke it out and _you_ kill it!"

"Ah, she'll be fine!" Katsuya said with little if any concern. "Okay, it's starting to move. Start smoking it!" The youth began using his own fan to move the smoke of his fire down into the hole.

Atem had the urge to continue his argument, but with the realization the creature would come for him if he didn't start his part he reluctantly began fanning the smoke into the hole and became very upset with his traveling companions for bringing him down to this.

Soon, a crowd gathered around the house to see what was going on, but the red-haired Slayer continued to usher them back and give her a good amount of room before returning her attention to the hole she guarded. Smoke flooded out her post, and aside from that no other movement stirred her focus.

It was only for a brief moment that she considered the beast had suffocated while attempting to escape.

Without any visible warning, a giant centipede burst out of the hole, breaking off some of the house due to its having grown since crawling into the hole. Shizuka jumped back to avoid being hit and the crowd drew back with screams and gasps.

Atem and Katsuya heard the sound of panic and rushed to the other side of the house.

Shizuka was on the centipede's back, stabbing her sword into its head repeatedly. It screamed at her assault and reared itself up to shake her off, its green blood staining her clothes as she stabbed her sword into it again and held on tightly.

"_Do_ something!" Atem shouted at Katsuya.

"She's doing great!" The blond said, his grin not visible due to his mask still in place. "She doesn't need our help for this one."

"It is not a woman's place to fight such things!" The Pharaoh said, grabbing onto Katsuya's shirt roughly. "She is going to get hurt! There is no—"

The sound of a great mass hitting the ground called the two youth's eyes back to the fight and Atem was amazed to find that the creature on the ground, missing its head. During his brief dispute with Katsuya, Shizuka had pulled out a long metal wire and severed the monster's head; it had flailed around for a little longer before falling to the ground dead.

Atem couldn't believe or understand any of it. "Kawai Shizuka…!"

"I told you," Katsuya smiled, patting the Pharaoh's shoulder roughly. "But don't sweat it! You only underestimate her once!"

The blond dashed off to check on his sister, leaving the Pharaoh rubbing his shoulder.

Honestly, Atem was unsure what to think; what Shizuka had done contradicted what he had been taught since childhood. He had never seen a woman fight, not even Isis; he recalled seeing texts that spoke of female warriors of the highest caliber, but they had been stories from a childhood he barely recalled. He remembered his father telling him that women were never in battle because they were too precious to kill or be killed.

And for a young woman like Shizuka to fight…

It was wrong.

- - -

Without the Pharaoh or his companions' knowledge, a certain pair of pale-haired horsemen were passing through.

"Quite the crowd," Pegasus chipped.

"Do you think someone was hurt?" Asked Ryou.

The one-eyed, silver-haired mage scanned the crowd and deduced that no humans had been hurt, but a Deep forest centipede had been slain. Pegasus sighed at the loss, but understood it happened often in this region with its Slayers. A part of him screamed to confront the killers, but he held himself steady. Not even in his homeland were Deep dwelling creatures tolerated; it had to be the same, if not worse here in the Black Dragon region.

Pegasus started to continue down the street, but paused again when he caught sight of a fiery red top of hair at the center of the crowd.

- - -

Shizuka removed her mask to smile at her brother, but stopped when she saw a shimmering silver just outside the corner of her eye.

Brown met redwood, and a ringing sound filled the air. Neither knew where it came from or when it had started, as if it had always rung and they had only then noticed it.

"Shizuka?" Katsuya nudged his sister. "_Oi_, Shizuka!"

- - -

"Master Pegasus, are you alright?" Ryou asked as he grasped his mentor's shoulder.

With those two contacts from the outside, the sound could no longer be heard.

'_It's gone…'_

- - -

"Shizuka, are you okay?" Katsuya asked. "You totally spaced out there."

Shizuka looked at her brother, then back at the silver-haired rider, but he was now looking at his own companion. _'It had to have been a dream,' _she thought before looking back at her brother with a smile. "Yes, I'm okay."

- - -

Pegasus also reassured Ryou with his usual smile. "I am alright."

The white-haired youth studied his master's face. "Are you sure?" He pressed. "You looked very… Not dazed exactly, but sort of…happy. Almost like you saw an old friend, but didn't want to let them know."

Pegasus blinked at this, stealing one last glance at the red-haired young woman. He had never seen her before in his whole life; how could he show that sort of expression when looking at someone he had never met?

He shook his head. "Let's keep going," he said. "We should be out of this region before nightfall."

Ryou nodded and the two urged their horses on and they soon left the village.

- - -

Meanwhile, Shizuka, Katsuya and Atem were being praised by the villagers.

"That was incredible!"

"I've never seen anything like that!"

"Amazing!"

The owner of the infested house managed to push his way through the crowd to grasp Shizuka's hands. "If you hadn't come, that thing would have definitely killed me and my family! How can I ever thank you?"

Katsuya scratched his head with a sheepish grin. "Do you have any horses?"

- - -

Even after three horses had been chosen for them, they did not leave right away. By Shizuka's request, they and several villagers took the centipede's carcass and buried it in the hillside.

Atem refused to participate due to his position as Pharaoh, as well as his thoughts on the Slaying stumping him. He would have to discuss the situation with Shizuka and convince her to lay down her sword and leave the way of Slayer.

Katsuya stuck his shovel into the ground and leaned on it exhaustedly. "Finally… Done…!"

The youth probably would have gone on about his sore muscles and exhaustion, but he immediately fell silent when he saw his sister fall to one knee before the mound that covered the slain centipede and bowed her head in prayer. He too fell into a solemn silence and waited.

After a while, the young woman stood up, clapped the dirt from her hands and knees and turned back to her brother. "Okay. We can go."

They mounted their horses and headed off down the road.

When night fell they had made it out of the Black Dragon region and stopped to camp by the road.

Katsuya turned the rabbit he had killed over the fire, checking on it now and again. "It'll be a while still."

'_I am in no hurry,'_ Atem muttered in his brain. Though it he had traveled three days in this same manner, he had not yet come to appreciate camp food.

Shizuka cut off a piece of bread and handed it to the Pharaoh inhabiting her prince's body. "Here, to hold you over for a bit."

Atem accepted the bread, but stared at it between his fingers. Again, his thoughts returned the Slaying, and he chose now was the time.

"Kawai Shizuka—"

"You can just call me Shizuka," the young woman said with a smile.

Atem blinked. "Shizuka… I need to discuss something with you."

"Yeah?" She nibbled on her own slice of bread.

"Why are you a Slayer?" He asked. "How can your society allow it?"

Shizuka blinked, glancing back at her brother. "What do you mean?"

"It is not a woman's place to be in battle," Atem said.

The two Slayers stared. "You're joking, right?" Katsuya scoffed. "Tell me you're kidding."

"I am not!" Atem shot to his feet, towering over the two sitting Slayers. "What can you be thinking, placing yourself in such a situation? I ask—no, I _demand_ that you abandon this Slaying and throw down your sword at once!"

The small camp fell silent, save for the snapping of the fire.

Shizuka stood up. "No."

Atem was shocked, but only for the barest second. "I will not command it again!" His answer was a stinging slap across the face, and the grove fell even more silent than it had been a moment ago.

Now his shock was obvious. He had never been struck, by anyone; yet this girl had done it as if it meant nothing at all.

He touched his cool fingers to his burning cheek and began trembling with fury. "How _dare_ you!"

"How dare _you_!" Shizuka shot back with equal fervor. "Who are you to order me to change the life I have chosen for myself!"

Atem clenched his fists. "I am the Pharaoh of the Gold Dragon deserts!" He shouted, returning Shizuka's blow with a slap of his own. "What I command is law!"

"Not here! Not over me!" The young woman said, not the least bit fazed from the blow that reddened her cheek. "You are not my King! You are not my prince! **_You're not Yuugi!_**" Tears were now trailing down her cheeks, but she didn't seem to notice. "You have no right to demand such things!"

Without another word, Shizuka turned and stormed off into the woods.

"Shizuka!" Katsuya started to go after his sister, but stopped, knowing it would be pointless to try talking to her. He had only seen her in this kind of rage once, and that had been when they were still children; now that she was a woman, there was no telling what she was capable of.

The blond turned back to Atem with a glare.

"What?" The Pharaoh spat.

Katsuya groaned, rubbing between his eyes. "You are really unbelievable, man!"

"It is not a woman's place to—"

"Shut _up_!" The blond shouted. "Gods! How happy are your people having a King like you!"

Atem bristled. "I do what is best for my people! I have done everything my forefathers have done to the utmost perfection! That is how I know that she is not meant to hold a sword!"

Katsuya sighed, shaking his head. "Unbelievable. Absolutely _unbelievable_!"

The blond quickly returned to tending to his rabbit before it could burn.

Atem couldn't believe how little they understood; Shizuka could be killed, and not even her own brother seemed to care. He turned away and stormed off in the opposite direction Shizuka had.

He wasn't sure how long he walked, but he eventually came to a small pond and did something he had only done as a child; he picked up a rock and hurled it across the water. For the first time, he wasn't thinking about what the spirits of the past Pharaoh's would think of how he was acting and threw rocks and sticks about furiously.

One rock he hurled at a tree; he hadn't expected it to shoot through the branch and break it off.

Atem froze as the tree's arm crashed into the pond and stared at his hands. Now he remembered why he hadn't thrown rocks since his childhood; he had nearly killed someone when he somehow tapped into the power granted to every Pharaoh.

'Do I still retain my powers?'

Kneeling down, Atem took a deep breath as he reached into his soul.

He could feel every breath, heartbeat and pulse of life that went through the body that was not his own. And he was shocked to hear the traces of the prince who had been stolen.

Atem could almost see him; it was a vague image, but…Yuugi had left some of himself behind.

'_You shouldn't make her cry…'_ the Prince said. _'She's already hurting… You shouldn't make her cry…'_

Atem returned to himself, but was somehow not as proud to have discovered he still had his powers as he had been at first. The Prince had made him regret his actions earlier, though he didn't really understand why.

Picking himself up, Atem headed back to the camp. When he again found himself in the warm glow of the pit fire, he found Katsuya cutting pieces of the rabbit off but not eating them.

When the blond noticed Atem's reappearance he chuckled. "I was starting to get worried that maybe I'd be eating alone tonight."

Atem looked around the camp, his gaze ending up on the bedroll of their absent party member.

Katsuya noticed the object of the Pharaoh's attention. "Shizuka hasn't come back yet," he said. "And I wouldn't expect her back real soon. She looked pretty upset."

"Hmm…" Atem took a seat at the fire without any further reply.

"Want some?" Katsuya grinned, holding out the skewered rabbit.

Normally Atem would turn down the offer, as he had the past couple nights, but the empty growl of his stomach made him reconsider. "Yes…"

"Okay!" Katsuya put some of the cut off meat between two pieces of bread before handing it to his companion. "Here ya go!"

Atem accepted the food, and was a little surprised to find it tasted good; the meat was a little tough, but not bad.

"What do I call you?"

The Pharaoh's question was strange and so abrupt Katsuya could only blink. "What?"

"Your sister says I am allowed to call her 'Shizuka'," Atem said. "What do I call you? Katsuya?"

"Don' hoosh id," the Slayer said through a mouthful of bread and rabbit; he quickly swallowed. "No one but Shizuka calls me Katsuya."

Now it was Atem's turn to blink. "Why?"

"What? Oh right…" Katsuya put some meat between two other slices of bread and wrapped it up for whenever Shizuka came back. "Around here, we have two names. Me, I'm Jounouchi Katsuya. The first name you hear, Jounouchi, was my father's name, and it's the name everyone can call me. My given name, Katsuya, is something only specific people can call me by, like family, really close friends or…lovers."

Atem blinked thoughtfully. "And it is like this for everyone of your country?"

"And the White Dragon Kingdom too, I think," the blond replied with a nod.

The Pharaoh looked down at his half-eaten rabbit sandwich. "Then, your sister…"

"Everybody calls her Shizuka, don't read too much into it," the blond said quickly. "She just… She doesn't like her second name."

Before Atem could inquire further, the fiery-haired young woman in question stalked out of the woods and went straight to her bedroll. She sat down and took off her boots before pulling her blanket over herself; this had all been done with her back to the campfire.

"Um… Rabbit's ready," Katsuya said, in the hopes of cheering up his still upset younger sister.

"I'm not hungry," Shizuka replied quickly, still not looking back at the boys. "Good night."

Since it was nigh impossible to tell whether or not Shizuka was actually asleep, Atem didn't ask any further questions about her. And the only thing that followed the young woman's good night was Katsuya's to Atem when they finally lay down to sleep.

- - -

Atem, like every morning since they had set out, awoke to Katsuya's humble snoring.

Back in his kingdom, he was awoken at the same time every morning by his servants; to wake up on his own was strange, yet lightly refreshing. Still, it was slightly uncomfortable to sleep in the same clothes every night, and he hadn't had a bath in a good while.

Recalling the pond he had found the other night, he decided it wouldn't be too much to have a quick bath. Getting up, and gathering a new set of clothes, he set off towards the pond.

What he failed to notice was the empty bedroll and a missing redhead.

Carefully retracing his steps from the previous night Atem found the pond, but he was surprised to find Shizuka kneeling at the water's edge. She was gathering water in her hands and putting it to her face a few times before looking at her reflection.

"Shizuka?"

The young woman turned at her name, but quickly looked away. "What is it?"

"I was…" Atem stopped as his heart hurt, and he recalled the incidents of the previous night. He had to settle the argument. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Okay."

The Pharaoh waited for Shizuka to turn, but she made no move to do so. "I would prefer it if I could speak to your face."

Heaving a sigh and with a great amount of hesitation Shizuka turned to face Atem. And the Pharaoh immediately saw why she had hesitated in facing him: a large, angry bruise marred her left cheek.

"Are you alright!" Atem asked, rushing to her side.

"I'm alright, don't worry," the young woman replied.

Observing her injury, Atem paused. "I did that…didn't I? Last night, when I hit you?"

Reluctantly, Shizuka nodded.

Something in Atem's heart trembled and he put his hand to his breast; the Prince was stirring restlessly, urging him to speak words he had never voiced.

A part of him didn't want to say it. It would be lowering himself. It would be admitting defeat.

'_You shouldn't make her cry…'_ He heard the Prince say again.

No, he didn't want to say it. But a part of him and a part of this body's true keeper knew that it had to be said.

"Shizuka. I am…sorry…"

The fiery-haired young woman's eyes widened and shot to meet the Pharaoh's. She must have heard wrong; she _had_ to have heard wrong. "What?"

"I am sorry," Atem repeated. "For hitting you…"

She had heard right. Somehow, a smile shone on her face.

Like the night before, Shizuka shocked him, but unlike the night before it was not with a burning strike; instead it was with a gentle embrace. At first, the Pharaoh stood completely still, but quickly relaxed into her arms, much the same way he had when Queen Hikari had held him that first day.

"I'm sorry too." Shizuka released him and bowed. "I hit you first. You shouldn't have to apologize."

Atem was again shocked to hear her say that, but managed to stay on his feet and keep a general composure. He again took note of the swelling bruise on the young woman's cheek, and recalling the branch that still drifted in the pond, realized he could likely do something about it.

"Hold still." He placed the same hand he had struck her with on her cheek.

Shizuka flinched, but didn't pull away.

Soon, in the place of the stinging pain came a soothing warmth and Atem watched as the bruised faded back to the proper color of Shizuka's skin.

When he drew his hand back, the young woman touched her cheek with her fingers to find the pain had vanished completely. "How did…?"

"I was surprised myself when I…did that last night," Atem said. "It would seem that I still have the powers I had in my own body."

"Wow!" Shizuka smiled. "Is that how you got rid of your bruise?"

Atem thought back, not recalling healing the injury to his own face and figured that it had happened on its own. "Yes."

"Hey!" The two turned toward the call from camp. "Where'd you guys go!"

Shizuka chuckled. "We'd better head back."

"I was looking forward to taking a bath," Atem sighed wistfully.

"Don't worry," the young woman pat his shoulder. "We'll take a stop at the next town. We can all take baths and maybe sleep under a roof at an inn tonight."

"That would be pleasant."

When they returned to camp, Katsuya was surprised and confused to find his sister and the Pharaoh on friendlier terms than when they had been before the fight, but didn't want to bother asking why or how.

After a short breakfast, the three mounted their horses and continued on down the road.

"Shizuka…"

"_Hai_?"

Atem thought a moment before continuing. "The women of my kingdom do not participate in battle," he said. "I have been raised knowing that a woman's place is in peaceful surroundings. How can your people not agree to the same standards?"

Katsuya groaned. They had just gotten back on pleasant terms, now he was sure that another argument would ensue.

Shizuka looked at the mane of her horse. "I thought the same thing once," she said, surprising Atem. "But… There was a woman I knew; she was one of the strongest people I've ever met. I wanted to be just like her, but I didn't know how. I asked her about how she could be so strong, because I knew I—as a girl—could never be as strong as a man.

"And she told me that it had nothing to do with being a man or a woman," Shizuka went on. "We all fight the same thing and for generally the same reasons."

"And what are those reasons?" Atem asked.

He was again surprised when Shizuka turned to him with a confident smile.

"I want to protect people," she replied. "I don't want to see anyone hurt when they should be happy…" Shizuka set her eyes ahead. "I don't want to see anyone die when they should live. No one."

Atem couldn't believe how she had such faith and confidence in herself to protect the people she loved. Could she really be strong because of that? Because of these feelings for her friends and family?

A certain three people jumped to his thoughts. _'Malik… Isis… Rishid…'_

"Hey," Katsuya interrupted the Pharaoh's reverie as he halted his horse. "Listen."

Atem and Shizuka halted also and listened.

They could just barely hear it over the wind in the trees surrounding the road: angry voices.

Dismounting, they stepped off the road and looked down the hill the road rested on. Further into the forest they could see a group of men, as well as two other pale-haired men standing on barrels.

The severity of the situation was evident from the fact the two men on horseback had their hands tied behind their backs and each had a noose around their neck.

"Well, _this_ looks pleasant," Katsuya said sarcastically.

- - -

- - -

Okay, okay, so the two groups haven't exactly integrated yet. But at least they met earlier. Kind of.

Anyway, next chapter.

Will Shizuka and the others intervene and save Pegasus and Ryou? You know they are, but its fun to ask.

Until next time! Bye-bye!


	13. Between Magicians and Bandits

Much sorrys for the last chapter! **(Bows)** I wanted two of the groups to join up, but the way I wrote it the rest wouldn't fit just then. And I also apologize for this chapter taking so long!

So here we go!

- - -

- - -

**Chapter Twelve: Between Magicians and Bandits…**

Pegasus stood atop his barrel next to Ryou, eyeing the noose around his neck.

The day had started off calmly enough. They were riding towards the next town when they came across a robbery in progress; not only were the bandits stealing valuables, but they were attempting to violate the young woman driving the carriage.

Being a gentleman and a believer in justice, Pegasus intervened. However, despite his knowledge in the magic arts, the bandits had threatened to snap the girl's neck if they didn't surrender and managed to bring him and Ryou into their present dilemma.

The bandit leader meanwhile sat on the back of the cart drinking wine from one of the barrels. He was muscle-bound and badly shaven; his messy blond hair stuck out in various places from beneath his bandanna while his eyes were hidden by a pair of dark glasses.

"Did anyone ever tell you that too much alcohol in your diet isn't good for your digestive system?" Pegasus inquired.

The bandit leader belched.

'_Men and women of the jury, I rest my case,' _he thought with a sigh.

"You don't have a clue who I am, do you fruity?"

"I _am_ married." Pegasus glared at the small pasty bandit that had stolen and now wore his wedding band. "And no, I don't know you."

The man chuckled. "The name's Keith Howard. People 'round here call me Bandit Keith."

'_Originality at work,'_ Pegasus thought, rolling his remaining eye.

"You made a big mistake picking a fight with me and my boys," Keith said. "This here is our turf. When people don't follow what I tell them, they end up dead."

- - -

"This is insane, Shizuka!" Katsuya hissed as he hid in some bushes, while his two companions hid behind two trees.

"There's only four of them," the young woman said as she tied up her hair and pulled on her mask.

Atem stood behind the tree next to Shizuka's, King Mutou's sword in hand. "Are you certain we should be doing this?"

"Atem-_sama_." Shizuka looked at the Pharaoh, her eyes showing her smile, as she nocked an arrow to her bow string. "Did you forget what I just finished telling you on the road?"

"_I don't want to see anyone die when they should live. No one."_ That was what she had said, and Atem remembered.

He sighed. "You are…serious in this decision?"

"Oh, she's serious," Katsuya said, pulling on his own mask. "Dead serious. You can tell when she ties up her hair."

- - -

Bandit Keith pulled the girl who had been driving the carriage into his lap. "Still, I understand you cuttin' in," he sneered, playing with the ribbon in the girl's hair and breathing in the smell of her skin. "A pretty little thing like this is bound to be a load of fun."

Pegasus clenched his teeth at the sickening display and the girl's growing tears. But he felt a breeze go through his hair and chill his spine. His gaze shot to his apprentice and found Ryou's hair was bristling, but his eyes were closed in concentration as the cold air circled around him.

"I will allow you one chance to release us and the girl," he said in a voice that was slightly darker than usual. "Do it, and I will spare your lives."

The bandits rolled with laugher at his ridiculous threat.

"That's a good one!"

"Hilarious!"

Keith waved his hand and two of his men kicked the barrels out from under the two pale-haired mages.

At the same moment, an arrow shot through the air and cut through the ropes hanging from the branches. Hitting the ground hard, Ryou's hair settled as he passed out and the wind vanished. Pegasus landed on his front, uncomfortably, but not with enough force to knock him out.

He saw the familiar redheaded girl jumped from the bushes, sword drawn, with two other young men at either side as they charged.

The small, pale and sickly-looking bandit was lifted up by the collar of his shirt and thrown into the bushes by Katsuya like he was a sack of grain. Atem took the man with dirty-red hair and small dark glasses, battling him well with the gift from the Queen, while Shizuka stood facing the bigger brown-haired bandit.

He smiled sickly. "Well, ain't you a fine thing? Even prettier than the other one!" He popped his knuckles. "What do you look like without your mask and clothes I wonder?"

Shizuka glared darkly, but waited as the bulk charged before easily moving to the side. Maneuvering her way behind him, she kicked him between the legs.

With tears stinging his eyes, the bandit went down.

Bandit Keith shoved the girl off of him and drew his sword as he ran for Shizuka. He hadn't counted on her brother blocking his blow with his own blade.

"Who the hell are you!"

"Passerby," Katsuya replied.

The blond slayer managed to push the bandit leader back a couple of feet, straightening himself and taking on a better offensive stance. Keith charged, shocked when his opponent knocked his sword out of his hands with ease. However the bigger shock came when Katsuya managed to stab his side.

Keith jumped back and held his bleeding side, trembling with shock and adrenaline. He gingerly touched his injured side and brought his blood covered fingers before his eyes.

Katsuya started forward, but the bandit jumped further back.

"Retreat!" With that order, his men picked themselves up, jumped on Pegasus and Ryou's horses and ran after him into the forest.

Atem and Shizuka returned their swords to their scabbards, but Katsuya had to clean the little bit of blood on his blade. "Sheesh, it was just a little cut."

"You check on the girl," Shizuka told the Pharaoh as she dashed to the two pale-haired men on the ground. "Are you alright?"

Pegasus smiled from his uncomfortable place on the ground. "I'm still here to say otherwise, but I won't."

The young woman quickly untied his hands, allowing him to push himself over and untie his feet as she moved to his unconscious pupil. Untying his hands and feet she rolled him onto his back and removed the noose from around his neck.

"Hey, wake up," Shizuka shook him gently and looked up at the older, silver-haired man as he joined her. "Was he hurt?"

"He probably hit the ground pretty hard," he said and placed his hand on Ryou's brow. "Ryou. Wake up, Ryou. They're gone now."

As if he had been waiting for that, the boy's dark brown eyes opened with a sigh. He looked into his master's face and returned his smile, before he paused and looked over at the young woman leaning over him on the other side.

"Hello…"

Shizuka couldn't help smiling back, though she doubted anyone could see it due to her mask. "Are you okay?"

Ryou sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "A small tumble, but I should live," he replied. "Did you save us?"

"Assisted," Katsuya said as he came over, taking off his face mask.

"_Onii-chan_," Shizuka sighed. "Be nice."

The four of them walked over to Atem who stood by the sobbing young woman, and obviously had no clue what to do to calm her down.

She looked a little bit younger than Shizuka; her hair was a pale lavender color, held up by a yellow ribbon, and then braided down.

"Are you alright?" Shizuka knelt down beside her, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder. She looked up with tear-filled, light blue eyes and nodded. "Don't be afraid. They ran off. You're safe now."

"Barbarians," Pegasus folded his arms crossly. "Taking advantage of a defenseless young girl!"

"You seemed kinda defenseless yourself, mister," Katsuya said flatly.

"We could have dealt with them, but they threatened to break the poor thing's neck if we didn't do what they said," the man replied.

The blond Slayer shrugged. "Whatever you say."

"…Thank you."

Everyone turned towards the quiet voice, finding Ryou with his eyes glued to the ground.

"If you hadn't shown up when you did…those men would have died."

"Don't you mean—" Katsuya was cut off by Pegasus as he held up his hand and shook his head.

A heavy silence settled before Atem piped up.

"Can you continue on your course?" The Pharaoh asked.

"Oh…!" Pegasus recalled the bandits taking off with their horses. "Well… No, I don't think we can."

"Please," the carriage girl hiccupped. "I can drive you to the next town if you need it. It's all I can do to repay your help." She bowed. "I would be honored if you rode with me."

The silver-haired magician smiled. "Thank you, dear."

"We're headed the same way," Katsuya sighed. "We can ride with you; make sure you don't get jumped again."

"Again, thank you," Pegasus smiled.

With the help of Katsuya, Shizuka and Atem's horses the carriage was pulled back up the hill and onto the road.

"Let me drive," Pegasus said, taking the reins from the girl. "You've had a trying morning, you should rest."

"Thank you," the girl sat in the back with Ryou. "My name is Miho by the way. But a lot of people call me Ribbon."

"A pleasure to meet you, Miho. My name is Pegasus J. Crawford."

"I'm Ryou Bakura," the younger mage smiled. "Or Bakura Ryou, depending on where you're from."

"Where _are_ you from?" Shizuka asked as she pulled her horse up beside the carriage. "Your name is like from the Black or the White Dragon regions, but Pegasus-_san_'s isn't."

"Uh… Just around," Ryou replied. "Master Pegasus and I travel a lot."

"Oh." Shizuka jerked and laughed. "_Gomen_! I didn't introduce myself! _Watashiwa_ Kawai Shizuka _desu_. This is my older brother Jounouchi Katsuya and…"

She paused, her eyes moving to Atem warily.

"And…?" Pegasus nodded.

"You may call me Yuugi," the Pharaoh said, once again taking on the name of the body he had inhabited for the past few days. "Until I tell you otherwise."

Pegasus shrugged. "Fair enough."

Little bits of conversation were started up, but two people kept exceptionally silent.

Shizuka and Pegasus recognized each other from the small village the previous day, but neither was sure how to discuss what had bothered them. The strange noise…

Both shook their heads and chose to leave the topic alone.

"So, Miho," the girl looked up at Katsuya. "I've always heard Merchants travel at least in twos to avoid robberies and such. Why are you all by yourself?"

Miho cast her eyes down to the floor of the carriage. "I'm doing it for my father…" she said. "He gambles a lot and builds up a lot of debt, this is the only way we can get by."

"Both of you or just you?" The blond Slayer asked.

The young woman remained silent.

Feeling the tension, Ryou clapped. "Why don't…we play a game while we're on the road?"

"A game?" Atem asked. "You can play those while traveling?"

"A couple," the white-haired boy replied. "This one is called Eye Spy. Someone finds something and gives one hint to the others, and they have to guess what it is."

Atem blinked. "I have never heard of this game."

"Really?"

"I haven't either," Shizuka said quickly. "I've heard of…Twenty Questions, but not that one."

"The two are very similar," Pegasus smiled. "I'll go first. I spy something with my little eye something…red."

"Shizuka's hair," Miho said.

"Nope."

Katsuya spotted some small red flowers growing out of the cliff side. "Those flowers."

"No. Give up?" Nothing else red could be found and they gave up. "A bandit."

"Where!" Everyone jumped to attention, their eyes shooting every which way.

Pegasus laughed. "Kidding! Just kidding! Wanted to make sure you're all paying attention."

"_Kounou_…!" Katsuya's hair ruffled angrily. "That wasn't funny."

"Yuugi-boy, your turn," the mage smiled.

It was strange enough for the Pharaoh to go by another name, but to have that other name spoken so informally was exceptionally strange. Even so, he looked around to start his turn.

Had they looked up to the cliff above them, the group would have seen a shadow pressed against the rocks that followed them, then disappeared.

- - -

It was a couple hours before they reached the town of Cleef. It was after noon and the shops were all bustling with people, sights, sounds and smells. Miho explained that some festival would be taking place in the next couple of days, hence her own travel to the town with what she had to trade.

Katsuya's stomach growled at the aroma of the food stands. "_Ne_, Shizuka—"

"We're getting a room at the inn first," both the fiery-haired girl and the tri-color-haired Pharaoh said at the same time.

They looked at each other wide-eyed, while Pegasus laughed. "Oh, I see!" He said. "You're lovers!"

"No! No we're not!" They again spoke in unison.

And again, Pegasus laughed. "I apologize for misunderstanding then."

Making it to a public barn, they all dismounted and stretched their sore muscles.

"Oh, my back…!" Pegasus stretched; the front seat was small and he had had to slouch the whole trip to town. "Almost reminds me of my own days as a merchant."

"You traded?" Atem inquired as he stood by his horse.

"Yes, indeed, I did!" The silver-haired man said proudly. "And if I do say so myself, I was very good at it too."

"Why did you stop?"

The man paused, sighing as his smile turned a little sad. "My father died," he replied. "He taught me everything and we traveled everywhere, picking up a few strays along the way…" He looked to Ryou as he helped Miho unbridle her horses. "But when he died… I just didn't have the heart to go on with the family business without him."

Shizuka looked off to the distance. "It must've been hard…"

"Yes, but not unbearable," Pegasus said, perking up a little. "I got married soon after."

The fiery-haired young woman offered a little smile. "…Good."

It took a while, but when everyone had finished with their own little project in the barn, they all took notice of the spiky-haired youth still standing by his horse.

"Is something wrong, Sir Yuugi?" Ryou inquired.

Atem looked at the white-haired youth. "Where are the stable boys? The grooms?"

Ryou blinked. "Public barns don't have any."

"Don't have any?" Atem sounded amazed.

"It's not that uncommon," Katsuya said. "You take care of your own property, especially with these public barns."

"Then _I_ will tend to my horse?" He sounded even more astonished.

Pegasus slowly looked at the inquiring youth. "Yuugi-boy… Where did you say you were from?"

"Oh…!" Atem froze. "The…Black Dragon Kingdom, of course."

The former-merchant stared at the unknown Pharaoh, taking in every detail he could make out about him. His style of dress was a little strange, to say the least, but his manner of speech had surprised Pegasus at first; this was a whole different matter.

"We should…probably get a place at the inn," Shizuka said.

"I have a reservation," Miho said. "And Shizuka-_san_ can room with me if that will help."

"Then the rest of us will take care of our own stay," Katsuya said as he helped Atem unbridle his mount, whispering instructions so that the others couldn't hear.

"No problem," Pegasus smiled.

Thankfully, an inn was structured just across the street from the barn. Inside, people were eating and drinking merrily, their various conversations filling what space their bodies left.

"Sheeze! What is this festival all about that you need to occupy every bit of living space!" Katsuya exclaimed as they pushed their way to the front desk.

A man wearing big round glasses, an orange bandanna and an apron met them with a breathless sigh. "Welcome to the Deru Inn," he panted.

"Busy day?" Pegasus smiled.

"Oh! Dreadful! The other inn across town is filled!"

"And this one? How many rooms are available?" The silver-haired asked.

"Let me see…" The man scanned the pages of the large book in front of him. "Two rooms are available."

Miho pushed to the front. "I have a reservation! My name is Miho."

"Miho…Miho…" The man scanned the pages. "Ah yes! Here you are!" He reached up and handed her the key to her room. "And you will be taking the other two rooms I trust?"

"Of course," Pegasus nodded.

Miho's and Shizuka's room was on the third floor of the inn while the other two rooms sat beside each other on the second. After taking their things up to the rooms they each took turns bathing before heading downstairs for their afternoon meal.

"Aah… Much better," Atem sighed as he met Shizuka in the hall. "I am much more accustomed to bathing every day and night."

The redhead laughed. "You sound like a woman."

"How so?" The Pharaoh inquired.

"You worry about your being clean and stuff, most men wouldn't."

Atem still didn't quite understand.

Making it down to the dining hall, the two joined the others. Katsuya had gone ahead and stuffed his face with what he had been able to order, feeling much more accomplished with himself.

"You eat food as if it were air," Atem said as he sat himself down.

"Leh meh awon," Katsuya said and took a long drink from his cup.

"You're so hopeless, _Onii-chan_," Shizuka smiled.

Just then, Miho jumped to her feet. "Oh goodness! I just remembered I have to check on my things! You all eat without me, I'll get something later!" She rushed off, almost knocking over a man weighted down with a tray in each hand.

"Whoa!" Shizuka and Ryou were quick to jump up and balance the man, even going so far as to take the trays from him.

"Ah! Thank you!" He smiled. "These are for your table." He was a middle-aged man with almost all grey hair and a mustache that covered some of the smile his green eyes helped to express.

"Oh, thank you!" Shizuka smiled and set the food down, and Atem helped himself to eat what he spotted. "Things must be pretty rough with so many people staying here."

"It's a little hard, but it's like this every year," the man smiled. "I've come to expect it after running this place for over thirty years."

"Yo de enn keeber?" Katsuya asked.

"Yes, my name is Arthur Hopkins," he replied. "I hope you'll make yourselves comfortable and enjoy your stay."

"We will," Shizuka nodded. "Thank you again." Proceeding to fill her own stomach, she caught some of a conversation going on at another table.

"…We were lucky to be able to pull this off this year!"

"Yeah, with those thieving bastards on the loose we were lucky to make it to town at all!"

"What do you think'll happen when the festival's over?"

"Who the hell knows?"

Shizuka glanced over her shoulder at the men talking, but returned to her meal.

"I guess those bandits are a big problem around here," Katsuya muttered into his drink.

"Vagabonds cause similar problems back in my kingdom," Atem said, cutting off a piece of steak and sticking it with his fork. "But tomb robbing is much more severe offense."

Pegasus and Ryou's attention shot to the youth.

"_Tomb_ robbing?" Ryou asked.

The silver-haired sorcerer fixed his eye on Atem as he paused. "I never heard of such a thing happening in Black Dragon regions."

The Pharaoh's breath caught; he kept forgetting that he was in the presence of more than just Shizuka and Katsuya. These pale-haired strangers were perceptive and didn't seem to let a single word slip by them.

"Anyway…" Shizuka put her mug down. "Since we beat that Keith guy we'll likely have a couple of problems on the road later on."

"Y-Yeah," Katsuya nodded and leaned his chair back on two legs. "I did hurt him, so he might take that as a threat. But it was just a small cut, as far as my past injuries go, anyway."

The sound of a glass breaking on impact with the floor startled Katsuya, and as he had leaned back a little too far, he nearly fell over. Luckily, Arthur Hopkins caught his arm and righted him.

"Did I hear you right!" The man whispered. "You actually _injured_ Bandit Keith!"

"Yeah, that's right," the blond replied.

The man was speechless with astonishment. When he again found his voice he had the faintest hint of a smile. "Are you planning on leaving town anytime soon?"

"No… We rented a room for the night," Shizuka said.

"Please, I'm begging you, don't leave the inn!" Arthur said. "I have to go see somebody, but I'll be back as quickly as I can! Don't leave!"

"O-Okay."

The man bowed. "Thank you! Consider your meal paid for!" And with that he dashed away, disappearing into the crowds of people that cluttered the room.

"That was interesting," Ryou piped, taking a bite of his steak.

Just then, Miho returned looking breathless and flushed, but smiling. "I'm back! Didn't miss anything, did I?"

- - -

It wasn't just the inn keeper that had overheard what the group had been talking about, and the other eavesdropper decided to look into the matter further.

- - -

Later, Shizuka stood in Atem's and Katsuya's room sitting on the window sill. "What do you suppose Hopkins-san wants to talk to you about?"

"I have a guess…" Katsuya sighed from his bed where he lay.

"Care to share your thoughts?" Atem asked from his own seat by the room's table.

Before Katsuya had the chance there was one knock at the door and was opened from the outside, allowing Ryou and Pegasus to step in.

"We didn't say you could come in," the blond slayer said, turning on to his side. "What do you want?"

Pegasus shrugged with a smile. "Just to hear what's going to be said. It might be interesting."

Just as Ryou closed the door behind him, as if on cue, another knock sounded. The young man opened it and bowed to Arthur and another man as they entered.

He was tall, not elderly with more than enough white in his auburn hair and was exceptionally well built. His hazel eyes scanned the room and finally landed on Katsuya; he raised one eyebrow skeptically.

"Him? _He's_ the one you told me about?" He asked the inn keeper.

"Yes, Mayor," Arthur nodded.

Katsuya blinked. "Mayor?"

"That's right," the man said. "Arthur told me about you, and I wanted you to get rid of the thieves for us."

'_I guessed right,'_ the blond thought.

"But, Arthur!" The Mayor went on. "I thought the man who hurt the leader would be big and strong! But look at him! He's still a boy!"

'_Boy…?'_ Katsuya raised an eyebrow. Admittedly he had just turned twenty a couple months ago, but he did have the right to be called a man.

"Tell us about the problem," Atem inquired.

The mayor sighed. "It might seem peaceful, but honestly the band of thieves parading around here make it just a dream. They've attacked so many farms, and they also attack traveling merchants and steal their goods and money." He raked his hand through his hair angrily. "And…several women and girls have been kidnapped as well…!"

"Some neighboring villages hired warriors in the past, but…anyone who's tried to fight back has been killed," Arthur took over. "When I heard what you said about injuring Bandit Keith, I thought maybe you could beat them."

Katsuya thought a moment. "About how many would you say there are in the gang?"

"Twenty men, at least," the innkeeper replied.

"It'll be a little tough, but if we use come of our regular techniques it shouldn't be too hard," Shizuka said. "_Ne_, _Onii-chan_?"

"That's for drawing out and Slaying monsters, Shizuka," Katsuya said. "But—"

"500 gold!" The Mayor exclaimed, making everyone jump. "I know it's not much but it's all the people could give up to hire someone!"

There was a brief silence as Katsuya blinked. "You wouldn't have to worry about _paying_ us."

The Mayor, Arthur, Pegasus and Ryou all stared in surprise at the Slayer's statement.

"Sorry," the blond chuckled at their expressions and scratched his head. "I'm always a little reluctant to get involved when it's strictly humans. But I accept the job."

"We accept the job," Shizuka corrected as she stood next to her brother.

Only a certain silver-haired sorcerer caught the disapproving look from Atem, but he kept it to himself. Instead, he sighed with a smile. "I suppose I could lend my service as well," he said in mock relenting. "I'd been intending to anyway. I have to get mine and Ryou's things back."

Shizuka's smile brightened. "Great! That'll be much better than just me and _Onii-chan_!"

Her brother groaned. "But Shizuka…!" He pulled her down so he could talk quietly into her ear. "He'll hit on me!"

Pegasus' remaining eye narrowed. "If you must know, one of the bandits stole my wedding ring," he said and held up his left hand.

"Then we're together in this," Shizuka smiled. "Alright, we'll set out tomorrow."

Atem opened his mouth to speak, when he was interrupted by someone knocking on the door. The man with big glasses and a bandanna who had checked them in opened the door and peered in. "Hello, Mr. Hopkins? Dinner will be served soon, if you want to take your meal."

"We'll be down shortly, thank you," Arthur said, and turned back to the group. "Thank you so much for accepting the offer." He and the Mayor left the room after the innkeeper's servant.

"Shall we?" Pegasus motioned for Shizuka to go first and she headed for the door.

"Shizuka."

The young woman looked back at Atem. "_Hai_?"

The tri-colored youth stood up. "Tomorrow I can go in your place," he said. "You can stay here and wait for us."

Katsuya groaned and slapped his hand over his eyes. "Not this again…!"

Pegasus wondered why the small youth was against the girl's participation. If the morning's fight had been any example, surely anyone could see she could take care of herself.

"Am I going to have to explain everything to you again?" Shizuka asked with a sigh. "Did you not get what I told you before?"

"I understand what you told me," Atem replied. "But I still do not agree to you fighting." The young woman sighed shortly and shook her head. "Is it that you like to fight?"

"Not particularly," Shizuka said. "But even so, that's not enough to stop me."

"Shizuka—"

"Atem! It's not up for discussion!" She turned and stormed away.

Atem sighed after her, raking a hand through his spiky locks. Back in his homeland the women were much more agreeable; they didn't talk back or argue so much. Back home…

…he was called Atem.

Ruby eyes shot to the two pale-haired men and found Pegasus looking after Shizuka.

"Well, on that…_pleasant_ note…I will descend to dinner, after which, I will retire to bed," he smiled and looked at Katsuya. "Don't try to leave without me tomorrow."

"Shut up!" Katsuya spat as Pegasus and Ryou left the room; the latter paused to bow and close the door after them.

Atem bent over and sighed with relief; they hadn't seemed to notice. It was so strange and difficult here. Back home his life revolved around everyone knowing who he was; now it was imperative that _no one_ did.

- - -

"Master Pegasus…"

"Yes, Ryou?"

"I'm sure you heard what Miss Shizuka said," the youth whispered as he and his master descended the stairs. "She called him 'Atem'."

The magic-user nodded his silver head. "The name of the Gold Dragon Kingdom's Pharaoh," he smiled thoughtfully as he paused. "Now that I think about it...I do believe when my father returned from a visit to the Black Dragon Kingdom that he mentioned the King had a son named Yuugi…"

Ryou looked back over his shoulder towards the top of the stairs. "Which do you think it is?"

Pegasus shrugged. "For the moment, it's not important. Let's focus on the task at hand of getting our things back." He looked back at his pupil. "Okay?"

"Yes, sir," Ryou nodded and they continued down the stairs.

- - -

Shizuka stormed over to the counter in the dining area and propped herself up on a stool angrily.

Miho had been sitting at a nearby table and decided to join her at the counter. "How did it go?"

"We've been hired to take care of the band of robbers that attacked you before," Shizuka said.

Miho nodded. "Is that why you're mad?"

"No, Atem is."

"Atem?"

"Yuugi," the redhead corrected. "He doesn't think it's my place to fight. He wants me to stay behind when the others go out tomorrow."

"Oh…" Miho paused to think a moment. "Why do you _want_ to go?"

"Because they might need my help," Shizuka replied, as if it was an obvious thing. "So long as I'm with them, there's little chance of me worrying so much and we'll have as many people as we need."

The lavender-haired girl stared before a melancholy smile crept across her features. "I envy you, Shizuka-_san_."

The Slayer did a double take. "What?"

"I'm so weak, I can only worry about myself," Miho said. "You seem to worry about everyone _but_ yourself. You're so much stronger than me…and I envy you a lot."

Shizuka stared at the girl a moment before casting her eyes down. "No I'm not," she said. "I'm not strong at all."

Miho's head shot up, her yellow ribbon bouncing. "You are! You're stronger than anyone I've ever met!" She insisted. "You're a Slayer! You fought those bandits before like it was nothing! You weren't afraid at all."

Again, the fiery-red hair shook. The memories of a Slaying that shattered so many lives, and the prince she failed hovered before her eyes like it a cloud.

'_I'm not strong at all…'_ She was the second person she knew to say that.

"You know, there was this person I really looked up to," she said. "She was confident and determined. It was because of her that I became a Slayer. I thought she was the strongest person in the world, that she wasn't afraid of anything.

"But she would always tell me that it was impossible to not be afraid," Shizuka went on. "'Of course you're going to be afraid,' she told me. 'You're fighting monsters, and that's frightening. It's what comes next that's important. Once you acknowledge that you're scared you can begin to move forward.'"

Shizuka paused. "But then…something terrible happened. And she told me that she wasn't all that strong at all," she said. "That when you lose something precious to you that you finally see how powerless you are…"

Miho was hesitant, but had to ask. "And…you lost…?"

"A lot of people I loved," she replied. "I wanted to become strong to protect what I still had, but the truth is I'm not strong either…"

"Shizuka-_san_…"

The young woman lifted her eyes to look across from her. "But despite that, I want to try. I'll protect them, no matter what."

Miho looked down at her hands in her lap. "I want to become stronger too. And live somewhere I can learn how…"

Shizuka looked at the young woman and smiled. It was soon that Pegasus and Ryou came down, soon followed by Katsuya and Atem, but no other arguments followed.

- - -

"So, those rats accepted the job?" Keith asked from his seat in the back of the cave filled with his gang.

"Crap!" A young man spat, tossing back his dark brown hair as he bit into a drumstick. The others also laughed.

"Don't underestimate them, fools!" Keith said. "Anyone who can take Sid, Zygor and Bonz—and **_me_**—can't be normal guys. Still, having a spy in town is very helpful."

The innkeeper's servant stood before Bandit Keith now. Without his glasses and bandanna his beady black eyes were visible and his grey-lavender hair was loose. "I never thought anyone could hurt you, boss," he chuckled. "Still, I don't think they'll be a match for everyone in one shot."

A black-haired man in a hooded black jacket took a long drag from a cigarette. "What are you suggesting?"

"If you come to the inn at night, I'll be on duty again, I can let you in."

Keith smiled. "We killed off the town's neighborhood watch group, didn't we?"

"The villagers are all cowards," Sid sneered, tossing his straggly red hair out of his eyes. "They won't be able to do anything if we show up in town now."

The man nodded. "A'right. We're gonna have us a huntin' party tonight, boys!"

The caverns echoed the howls of laughter from the twenty bandits as they finished their meal in preparation for the coming nightfall.

- - -

- - -

Uh-Oh! Looks like more trouble in store for our heroes!

This chapter was going to be longer, but I decided to leave it here.

Now, mentions:

I'm sure we all know Bandit Keith and his three flunkies from Duelist Kingdom. The rest of the gang is basically comprised of Malik's Ghouls, including the inn keeper's assistant, he's the guy that stole Jounouchi's Red Eyes Black Dragon at the beginning of Battle City.

Miho is a character from the first series, and personally from the screen caps I've seen of her, I don't like her. She glomped Kaiba and I could just not forgive that. However, she did have a short but sweet role in the manga and I decided to include her.

Next Chapter!

A midnight ambush, waking nightmares of blood, and another merging band elsewhere.

That's all! Bye-bye!


	14. Between Slayers and Magicians

Been a while since I updated, much sorrys for the wait.

Don't own **Yu-Gi-OH!** Never will. Though I really want to at least get the Japanese DVDs.

- - -

- - -

**Chapter Thirteen: Between Slayers and Magicians…**

_He sat leaning back with his hands behind his, sunk into his spiky, fiery red hair. The summer sun was comfortable and warmed him where he dozed on the branch of his tree._

_His bored comfort was interrupted when a 'boom' trembled through the forest and he jumped up. Looking over the treetops from his perch, he caught the cloud of smoke rising from further down the road._

_Looking to the base of his tree to the road below him, he found a woman with long white hair and man with braided silver hair running from four cloaked men on horseback._

_Positioning himself, he jumped down and knocked one rider off his horse. Drawing the sword hooked to the horse's saddle he went on to fight the other assailants. _

_Surprisingly, the man and woman returned; throwing bolts of lightning and calling spears up from the earth they ran into the fray. With the combination of the three's skills as well as the aid of the stolen horse, the battle was over rather quickly and the swordsmen vanished in bursts of smoke._

_Sighing, breathless from combat, he dismounted and held the horse's reins as he turned to the others. "Are you alright?"_

_He didn't really get an answer, because when his dark brown eyes met the woman's deep blue and the other man's single red-orange eye something happened._

_A beautiful ringing sound filled the air and he could see rainbows of light surround them all. They could only stand there staring at each other in awe until after a short eternity it faded, the feeling of true happiness remained blooming in his heart._

"_So…" the man smiled, shifting so that the black cloth covering his other eye was visible. "We found you after all."_

_It took a while, but he managed to find his voice. "Who…who are you?"_

- - -

Shizuka slowly resurfaced from sleep, and for a moment was confused as to where and who she was.

When her memory returned she sat up and looked at Miho sleeping in the bed across from her own; then to her sword beside her pillow along with her bag. She looked at her hands, finding they were her own and not those of the strange man in her dreams, and breathed a sigh.

Stepping out of bed, Shizuka crossed the room to the window and looked out at the street. Hers and Miho's room was on the first floor while her brother's and Atem's was on the second, so she couldn't get a very good view as she had from their room.

Nothing moved outside, but she couldn't shake the feeling that _something_ was wrong.

Crossing the room again, Shizuka made it to the door and opened it. And immediately any remaining traces of sleep fled; out in the infamous Bandit Keith, surrounded by dozens of other rough-looking men.

Shizuka slammed the door shut again and locked it before Keith even barked at his men to grab her.

"Miho! Miho, wake up!"

The young, lavender-haired beauty snapped awake and sat up. "Wh-What is it?"

Shizuka heard the '_click_' of the door being unlocked and pressed her back against the door, struggling to keep it closed. "Push the dresser in front of the door!"

Miho jumped up to carry out the order, but found the piece of furniture was too heavy for her to move very far, and seeing that time was an issue, instead knocked the table in front of the door followed by the two chairs.

Shizuka was content to let that hold for a little while and proceeded to try and push the dresser in the way as well.

"Shizuka-san, what's going on?" Miho asked.

"There are…bandits out there…!" Shizuka replied, straining with the dresser.

"You're kidding!" Miho quickly helped to push the piece of furniture in the way of the door.

"I saw Keith! It's got to be them!"

- - -

When the men that went for Shizuka found they were unable to break through the door, Keith called them back. "Leave her for now! She's not going anywhere! Let's get the others!"

The bandits rushed upstairs, following their spies directions to the rooms Pegasus and Katsuya occupied.

The sorcerers' room was broken into quietly, and finding the two pale-haired magic-users sleeping deeply made their way into the room and stabbed them.

The form of Pegasus, however, shifted into a shadow before the Doppelganger turned and lunged at the bandits. Ryou's image burst into shreds of paper.

The men were too startled by the attack from the shape-shifter to notice the two real sorcerers when they removed the invisibility spell outside the room. Pegasus snapped his fingers and shut the door just as his explosion spell activated.

"They attacked much earlier than we anticipated," Ryou said, taking a deep breath to calm his rapidly beating heart.

"Nonetheless, we were wise to expect them," Pegasus said. It was then that a shadow crept underneath the door, connected with his and his Doppelganger popped up, shaking soot from itself. "I'm sorry about that, but I was certain it wouldn't hurt you."

Just then, more men came charging toward them and they engaged in battle.

- - -

Luckily awoken by the explosion from Pegasus' spell, Katsuya and Atem were wide awake in time for the bandits to barge in. But as well as they were holding up, it was proving difficult with only the two of them.

"Jounouchi, we can't fend them off forever!" Atem called. He knocked his opponent to the ground and rolled out of the way of another, making the second bandit stab his partner's arm. "We're losing room!"

Katsuya agreed completely with Atem's statement; the room was spacious enough to fight, but the bandits just kept coming and it was getting too cramped. The blond dropped and rolled out of the way of a bandit's sword to his bag where he withdrew three balls.

"Atem! Hold your breath!"

With that warning, he threw the balls down and they exploded, filling the rooms with smoke. Katsuya grabbed the estranged Pharaoh and jumped out the window.

- - -

Shizuka saw her brother and Atem hit the ground outside; they picked themselves up, shook their dizziness away and ran off down the street.

"_Onii-chan_!" She pulled on her boots and gloves and strapped her sword to her waist. She would have jumped out her own window right then, but she saw several other men chase after them and quickly ducked to avoid being seen.

When they were gone, she quickly opened the window and looked back at Miho. "Close this and lock it after me," she said. "Don't open it and don't uncover the door until I tell you to. No one else;_ I_ will tell you."

Miho nodded and did as the Slayer had directed once she clambered out the window.

- - -

Pegasus blasted one man away with a lightning bolt and kicked another one down the stairs. Backed by his Doppelganger who bit and clawed at anyone who came near him, the sorcerer dashed down the stairs to find his apprentice.

In the dining area, Ryou continued to avoid being sliced with exceptional agility, leaving the tables and chairs to take the blows. He would have used magic to fight back, but he could feel the Black creep up in the back of his mind and knew he wouldn't be able to suppress it if he called on magic.

The youth tripped when he stepped back into two chairs that hadn't been pushed in and fell to the floor. The bandit saw and opportunity and smiled sickly as he raised his sword above his head.

Ryou felt an incredible fear for his life and the Black nearly took hold, when the bandit froze. It was then he saw the tip of a sword protruding from the man's chest. Looking past him, he was shocked to see Shizuka standing behind the bandit, her sword thrust into his back.

The bandit choked, letting his raised sword fall from his hands as he fell to the floor.

Shizuka pulled her sword out and looked at Ryou gently. "Are you alright?"

He could only nod, unable to find his voice.

A creak made Shizuka whirl around and put her sword to Pegasus' throat. "Sorry," she said and quickly pulled back. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, aside from the attempts on my life," the sorcerer replied before looking around skeptically. "I hate to imagine what this will cost us. Are you and Ryou okay?"

"I am alright," his apprentice replied as he got to his feet.

"Which is more than I can say for _Onii-chan_ and Atem!" Shizuka said. "They ran off down the street with who knows how many bandits on their tails! Let's go!"

- - -

Katsuya and Atem hid tucked away in a storage area beneath a bridge as they caught their breath.

"I've had attempts on my life before," the Pharaoh panted. "But this is the first time in such a large number."

Katsuya shrugged breathlessly. "I deal with monsters, not people, so this is a first… No, second for me."

Their lungs finally calmed down and they hid themselves deeper in the clutter.

"What was the first?" Atem asked, receiving an odd look from the blond. "You said this was a second time you dealt with being attacked by people; what was your first?"

Katsuya looked out towards the mouth of the storage area warily. "It was when I was still a kid," he replied. "A bunch a soldiers attacked this village that my Mom was treating."

"You're mother was a healer?"

"A doctor, yeah. Anyway, these guys…they didn't show any mercy, on anyone. Women and kids were cut down trying to get away…and my Mom died, protecting me and Shizuka…" Katsuya looked back at the Pharaoh. "Shizuka didn't want to dishonor her second name, so she chose to get stronger," he said. "She still doesn't think she's as strong as our mother, so she doesn't like going by her second name."

Atem stared. "I…I don't understand. Why not become a doctor like her mother?"

The blond chuckled humorlessly. "I don't know. I guess it's so she could understand the pain of those who fight more."

The Pharaoh still didn't understand, but didn't have the opportunity to ask further when they heard dome bandits near the exit.

"It's suspicious here," they heard one guy said. "It's filled with junk."

"What the hell," the other with him scoffed. "Clear the whole thing out." That was followed by a chorus of breaking crates and pots.

"Stay here," Katsuya said, raising his sword. "I'll have to really take it up a couple notches."

Atem objected. "Jounouchi, you can't hold them off!"

"I know I won't be able to, but I can't very well put royalty of another country in danger, can I?"

The blond looked back at him with a smile. "Just be sure to find Yuugi and give him his body back, okay?" And with that he turned and ran out.

- - -

"I FOUND THEM!"

Keith and the rest of his men dashed toward the call, just barely catching the shouts of their fellow bandits being cut down before they were confronted by a very fierce-looking Jounouchi Katsuya.

As much as he hated it, Katsuya knew he would have to kill them if he was to have any chance of winning. And so he cut his sword through them to do just that.

He seemed to be winning, if the drawing back of the bandits was any indication, when a bandit hurled a chain with a weight attached to it out and caught the Slayer's sword arm. Before Katsuya could attempt to remove it, Keith came out of nowhere, his sword at the ready, and the slayer watched at he was run through.

Blood rose up in his throat and the blond coughed it up as he fell to the ground.

"I've got you now!" Keith brought his sword up, but never had the chance to deliver the finishing blow—Atem came running and rammed into the bandit leader. The hit reopened the man's wounded side, making him cry out and made it worse when they impacted with the ground, rendering him immobile while the Pharaoh got back up.

"Jounouchi!" Atem crawled over to the blond and covered the stab wound with his hand. "Hold on!"

Another bandit ran at the Pharaoh, but he stumbled when an arrow hit his leg and fell with a cry. Following the projectile, Shizuka, Pegasus and Ryou ran toward them.

"Shizuka!" Atem called. "Jounouchi's been hurt!"

The fiery-haired young woman felt her heart freeze at the Pharaoh's words, but she found her legs immobile upon seeing the blood flowing form her brother's chest. The sight stirred memories she had fought bury, and they rose unbidden from the recesses of her thoughts.

- - -

_The blood of her friends and comrades was spattered everywhere across the walls and floor, even on her face and in her hair._

_She sat in complete terror at the sight she had been caught in, and the monsters that had killed her fellow slayers were edging closer to make a new kill. She knew she had to move or else she would decorate the walls as well, but she just couldn't bring herself to budge._

_She caught a glint of gold shimmering out of the corner of her eye, and turned to find one of her closer friends lay barely a foot from touching her side. His short, curly sunshine-blond hair hid his face, but she somehow knew his violet eyes were open and void of life._

_He had died protecting her, because she had been so scared she couldn't move._

_The monster lunged and she screamed, but the terror that had previously kept her from moving now gave her a burst of strength and she gripped her sword…_

- - -

Again, Shizuka found she couldn't move. _'No…Not again!'_

Pegasus and Ryou rushed over to Katsuya. "Is he breathing?"

"Barely," Atem replied.

Master and apprentice placed their hands over the wound in the slayer's chest and whispered soft words that called a soft light from their palms to the injury.

Shizuka gripped her bow tightly, when she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to see Bandit Keith strain and finally get to his feet.

"YOU!"

With all the strength he could muster, the man ran off, the few men left of his band scurrying after their leader.

Shizuka started after them. "Shizuka, stop!" Atem shouted, halting the young woman's pursuit. "Chasing after them blindly on your own won't help your brother!"

Knowing it was true, she turned back and fell to her knees at her brother's side, taking his bloodstained hand in hers as she removed the chain binding it. "Is he going to be alright?"

"It's very deep," Ryou said. "Our recovery spells won't be enough to heal this."

Atem looked from the white-haired youth to his bleeding patient; vaguely recalling his power return and healing Shizuka's bruise that morning, he prayed that he could muster enough energy for this injury.

Placing his hands over Pegasus and Ryou's, Atem closed his eyes and dug deep into his wellspring of power that was granted to his forefathers. A gold light covered Katsuya's body, the slayer's face contorted in pain, and he returned the grip on his hand.

His sister blinked and held his strengthening hand. "_Onii-chan_?"

Pegasus continued to apply his own recovery spell, but stared at the tri-colored youth before him. It was common knowledge that those of the Black Dragon regions possessed no magic whatsoever, and yet here this young man was; making the sight even more incredible was that he knew it wasn't a spell belonging to his type of magic.

Shamanism was the only other type of magic that healed, it was one its greater powers. He eyed the youth a moment more before placing all his focus on the wounded blond they were tending to.

The light faded and Katsuya sighed in relief before slowly opening his eyes. "Shizuka…"

"_Onii-chan_!" His sister hugged him tightly, but quickly drew back upon his grunt of pain. "Ah! _Gomen_…!"

"S'okay…" he replied. "What happened?" He looked past his sister. "Who're all these people…?"

At his latter question they all looked up to find themselves surrounded by several villagers who had stepped out of their houses to see what the commotion outside was all about; they, being too focused on treating Katsuya, hadn't noticed them.

- - -

A couple miles outside town, three desert-dwellers rode tiredly through the dark of night.

Malik and his siblings had made very good time crossing the desert, but the past week in the foreign land had proven to have its own adversities. And it was hardly the monsters, though they had encountered a good number; it was the people that proved more of an obstacle.

Hardly any of the towns and villages they had stopped in treated them kindly, supposedly because dark-skinned people were a rare and usually unwelcome sight. They had found themselves sleeping out in the woods more often than they really wanted to.

"I'm so sleepy…" Malik yawned.

"Do you want us to settle down for the night, Master Malik?" Inquired Rishid.

Looking back at his sister and servant-brother Malik could see how tired they were, but also knew they wouldn't object if he chose to keep riding. They knew how urgent it was that they find the Pharaoh, and had ridden straight through the night without rest on many occasions to make it this far.

"We will stop and rest for the night," he finally replied as he dismounted. "We can afford to wait until morning to keep going. We need a break, and I'm sure our horses do too."

Rishid dismounted as well and started toward Isis' mount to help her down, when someone jumped down from a nearby ledge onto the horse and cracked the reins to make it burst into a run.

"Isis!" Malik jumped back onto his horse and chased after his sister.

The former priestess beat against her captor, but he seemed too strong to harm. She then came up with another course of action; grabbing him around the torso, she pushed off and sent the two of them tumbling to the ground.

"You bitch!" The man slapped her and drew out a dagger. He never got the chance to use it, because at that moment Malik jumped from his own horse and kicked him away from his sister.

"Are you alright, Sister?" He asked. The woman winced as she touched her face, but nodded.

Malik turned to the thief and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, but he wasn't about to spill blood, especially in the presence of his sister. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath and touched his wellspring of power as he cast a spell.

Upon opening his amethyst orbs, there was a gold glow to them. The thief would have fought back, but his mind seemed to slow down and relax in a cloudy haze.

"You are going to tell me who you are and where you come from…"

- - -

Later that night, or early the next morning depending on how you looked at it, the townsfolk had assisted in gathering the bodies of the dead bandits and bringing the badly wounded ones to the surgeon.

Back at the inn, Katsuya had been placed in another room, bandages adorning his arms and torso.

"I don't see what the big deal is," he grumbled. "It was just a small stab."

"That 'small stab' managed to puncture one lung, Jounouchi," Pegasus replied.

"Well, you guys took care of it, right? So what's the big deal?"

"Can you move?" Atem asked flatly.

The blond flinched before looking away. "…No."

"I may have been able to help the wound heal faster, but you lost a lot of blood," the Pharaoh said. "You'll likely be a little weak for at least two more days."

"Just concentrate on resting and getting your strength back," Ryou smiled. "_Ne_, Shizuka-_sa_—" The white-haired apprentice cut off when he turned to address the female slayer and found her sitting in the corner sleeping.

Katsuya chuckled. "It's been a rough night."

"Indeed," Pegasus smiled with a nod. "Shall we take her back to her room?"

"That's alright," Atem replied, surprising everyone. "She'll likely wake up and never get back to sleep if we try to move her."

Katsuya blinked, a little confused at his companion's decision, but shrugged. "Just cover her up; she sleeps like this all the time."

Doing so, Pegasus and Ryou left the room—as Atem climbed into his own bed to go on sleeping—and headed downstairs.

The lower floor was crowded, but the two mages somehow made it to the dining area where they were met by Arthur Hopkins. "How is your friend doing?"

"Jounouchi will fine, he just needs to get some rest," Ryou replied.

"I'm sorry to say that I believe my servant, Hank, may have let those bandits in," the man sighed. "He was on duty, but now I can't find him anywhere."

"We should be the ones to apologize," Pegasus said. "We caused more than a little damage to your residence…including blowing up one room…"

But Arthur shook his head. "You're doing us all a great service, I won't hold anything against you, sir." He started when someone bumped into Ryou. "Will you join me for a cup of tea? It's less crowded in my room."

Accepting the offer, the three of them made their way out of the throng of people and sat down as the innkeeper poured them each a cup of sweet smelling tea.

Ryou looked around the room, impressed with the various items he saw that were more often used on boats. "Were you a sailor, Mister Hopkins?"

"Oh, once upon a time," he smiled. "My father was more of a sea faring man, but he took me with him whenever he went traveling around the world, seeing what there was to see."

"Hmm…" The boy continued to scan the shelves, when he came across a small painting of what appeared to be a young Arthur Hopkins, and a girl that looked almost exactly like Rebecca. "Master Pegasus!"

Bringing the picture over, the sorcerer's one eye widened. "Mister Hopkins, who is this girl?"

Arthur took the picture and a sad smile tugged at his mouth. "That…was my daughter, Emilia, when she was twelve," he replied with a sigh. "When she was sixteen, she left with her mother to study abroad. In one of her last letters, she told me she had married a magician."

"Last…letters?" Ryou asked slowly.

The man nodded. "The last one was her announcing that she would come home, with her husband and their six year-old daughter…but…" He drew a shaky breath. "There was a storm that night…and their ship went down…" He chuckled sadly. "I never got to hold my granddaughter in my arms… Little Rebecca…"

Master and apprentice cast a glance at the other, and Pegasus smiled gently. "Mister Hopkins, I believe I should tell you about a little advisor to the Queen in the Red Dragon Kingdom…"

- - -

The next day, just before noon, Shizuka and the others—excluding her brother, much to his chagrin—gathered to head out for the bandits' hideout. The ones that hadn't died the previous night had supplied the location, as well as the warning of various booby traps.

"Are you sure that you'll be alright on your own?" The mayor asked.

"There should only be a few left," Shizuka said. "They shouldn't be too much of a hassle."

"If they're still there in any case…" Pegasus muttered.

Mounting their horses, Shizuka looked at Atem as she tied on her mask. "Any complaints?"

The youth pondered on what Katsuya had told him the previous night about the girl, still not sure if he understood it all. "I still object, but I will not hinder you," he replied.

And with that, the slayer, the Pharaoh and the two sorcerers rode off.

"I worry for them," the mayor said. "Smaller numbers or not, those bandits won't be easy."

"Have some faith in them," Arthur said. "They can bring hope where there is none."

The mayor turned to the innkeeper. "You speak as if from experience."

He nodded. "I do…"

"Excuse me?" At the new voice, the two men turned to meet Malik, Isis and Rishid, with Arthur's previous servant slung over the back of one of their horses unconscious. "I was told that there was a prison nearby…?"

- - -

- - -

This chapter actually continued, but my beta and I decided it would bet better to split it than post all 38 pages in ONE HUGE CLUMP.

So…yes. Chapter 14 tomorrow. Yes.


	15. Between Magicians and Shamans

- - -

- - -

**Chapter Fourteen: Between Magicians and Shamans…**

Leaving their horses in the woods, Shizuka and the others climbed the rocky mountainside, following the map to the waterfall supposedly hiding the cave with bandits' loot.

"Thanks to those other bandits we have been able to avoid their traps, but don't any of you think that this has been a little too easy so far?" Atem asked. "Shouldn't we have run into some sort of adversity by now?"

"I agree," Pegasus nodded. "We should have at least encountered an—" The finish to Pegasus' sentence would have been 'Ambush,' and that was exactly what cut him off.

Several men leapt out of the trees, each holding the edge of a net, and the group was immediately weighted down by it. Pulling at the woven net, they were surprised to find it was made of steel and cut their skin when it came in contact.

"Hah! Knew that would hold ya!" One man sneered.

"The boss may have run out on us, but we can handle you bunch without him just fine!"

Shizuka tested the ensnarement and the men laughed. "You can't hope to get out of that! It's pure steel!"

"_Just_ steel?" Before anyone could answer her inquiry, the young woman drew her sword and cut through the net, snapping the threads of metal like hair.

As the bandits drew back in shock, Shizuka drew three gas bombs from her pouch and hurled them at the bandits. While they were enveloped in the smoke, she quickly pulled the rest of the net from her companions.

"How on Earth did you manage to cut through _this_!" Pegasus asked, holding up the damaged net.

"Do you really think _steel_ can stand up to Black Dragon metals?" Shizuka asked back.

The smoke from the young slayer's bombs cleared and revealed the unconscious bandits on the ground.

"Those bombs were filled with a type of herb used to knock out patients for surgery," Shizuka said in response to the curious looks the three gave her. "They won't be waking up any time soon."

"That's good," Ryou sighed, but stopped and counted when he looked back at their fallen quarry. "But…weren't there more than this?"

Looking back, the others could see that a few had escaped. "Don't worry, if they inhaled any of the gas they won't get too far," Shizuka said.

"Shizuka and I will restrain these four and track down the escapees," Atem said, indicating to the fallen bandits. "You two go on ahead to the waterfall."

At this the fiery-haired slayer smiled, though one could only tell by looking at her eyes. "Is that okay with you?" Shizuka asked Pegasus and Ryou.

"We can handle ourselves, thank you," replied the master sorcerer with a grin. "Come, Ryou. Our audience awaits."

"Y-Yes, sir…"

And together, the two pale-haired magic-users continued the march up the hill as the other two proceeded to use the rope and any other restraints the men had on them.

- - -

The two bandits left to guard the outside of their hideout bickered with each other about who had won the roll of dice.

"Can I offer some advice?" Pegasus stepped out of the forest and the two men drew their swords as he leaned over to inspect the bowl holding the dice. "Ooh! Not a good roll! You should really try a more efficient game, like a card game!"

The two other men would have skewered the silver-haired man, but their eyes became heavy and started to droop when a glittery red mist touched the air around them. Within moments they collapsed, having fallen asleep on their feet.

"That was beautiful, Ryou!" Pegasus turned around to greet his pupil as he too emerged from the trees.

Ryou nodded. "It's one of the best ones I know."

The youth's mentor clapped a hand to his back. "You'll have yourself under control in no time with how fast you've been progressing these days!" He smiled. "Come, there shouldn't be many more."

However, entering the cave, the two magic-users were surprised to find it empty; there were no vagabonds anywhere in sight.

"Could they be hiding anywhere?" Ryou whispered.

"Let us see…" Pegasus knelt down to his shadow and his Doppelganger's glowing eyes popped up where his would be on the shadow. "Can you sense any bad people here?"

The eyes looked around, and Pegasus' shadow shook its head.

"Thank you." Standing back up, he shrugged. "I guess the others ran away."

"I recall one of the men Miss Shizuka knocked out said that Bandit Keith ran away," Ryou said. "Perhaps the others went with him."

Pegasus nodded. "I suppose. Well, let's find the bandits' loot."

The two set to doing just that, checking the various caverns that turned out to be bed areas or store rooms. However, the time finally came when they moved aside the flap to another cavern, and they stopped dead at what they saw.

Women and girls clutched each other tightly as they whimpered and cringed at the light from moving the curtain. Aside from a lack of nourishment, it was obvious from the torn state of their clothes what they had suffered at the hands of their bandit captors, and Ryou could only stare in shock. So his master took the initiative.

"Mistresses…" Pegasus stepped further inside and they drew back, so he knelt down in the middle of the room. "Do not be afraid. We have been sent by the village to come and take you home. We're here to help you…"

Ryou watched as the women began crying, from relief or the horror of it all he wasn't sure, but the same smell of broken hearts filled the air. The same smell from back then…

- - -

_He finally emerged from the secret hideaway behind the bookcase in his father's study._

_His home lay in ruins, objects and furniture smashed to pieces littered the floor and the curtains were torn from the windows. This was how he saw the evil past his own four walls; blood filled the streets like fallen rain and several houses were burning._

_But he turned away and ran up the stairs to find his parents. He froze upon reaching the top step and found his father lying in a pool of his own blood._

_Running to his side, despite the crimson substance of life standing the floor he hoped to rouse him. When the white-haired man did not stir, he began to cry, and as he raised his eyes to wail upwards, he saw into the room his father lay outside of._

_He could barely make out the woman on the bed wearing a torn nightgown, her white hair spread out like a blanket as it mingled with the blood of her slit throat._

_Sadness and rage overwhelmed him and he screamed as tears poured down his face._

_They wouldn't get away with this. He wouldn't let them. He would never forgive them._

- - -

"We should be able to take them with us," Pegasus said after he looked the girls over. "Some can ride our horses while the rest should be able to walk."

No reply came from behind him.

"Ryou?" The master sorcerer turned, but his snowy-haired pupil was no where to be found.

- - -

Bonz, Sid and Zygor stopped to rest from their hard dash.

"Dammit! We didn't grab nearly enough!" The big bulky member of the threesome griped

The lanky redhead panted from beneath his heavy load of stolen riches. "If any horses had been left for us we might have been able to. But those two guys from before showed up! I saw them!"

"Probably came to get their junk back," Bonz chuckled and looked at the ring on his finger. "But this was the only decent thing in their stuff!"

The three laughed as they each examined their own stash.

"So, where should we go?" Sid asked. "Not to any town near here."

"** How about a place that is far away and very near at the same time? **"

The three turned and looked back down the path they had come to find Ryou standing no too far from them. Drawing their swords, they dropped their bags of treasure.

"Well, looks like we get to skewer you after all," Zygor laughed.

A wind picked up and the young sorcerer's hair rose. The air became heavy, but not hot; it was so cold that the three bandits could see their breath.

"** I won't forgive you… **" The youth said. Some of his hair stood like horns and the three bandits drew back. "** I won't forgive you… **"

Finally, he raised his head and opened his eyes, revealing the almost white lavender color that replaced his natural brown and the slit pupils filled with hate that focused solely on the three of them.

But it wasn't until a smile pulled Ryou's mouth that the bandits could see the thirst for blood in his eyes.

- - -

A series of blood curdling screams cut through the forest and Shizuka and Atem jerked to a halt in their climb toward the hideout.

"What was that?" The Pharaoh put his hand to his pounding heart to steady it.

Shizuka dashed into the woods, dodging trees and jumping over stones to get to the source of the cry of torment. And when she found it, she jerked to a halt.

Ryou stood with his back to her as he stared at the torn bodies of the three bandits she had met the previous day with Bandit Keith now laying at his feet. The white-haired youth turned to face the slayer and she saw the blood covering the front of his clothes, his hands and face. He stared at her with strange eyes, showing no emotion on his handsome face.

"** One Heart… One Blood… One Memory… **"

Shizuka stared, not understanding what he had said. "Bakura?"

Ryou blinked and his eyes returned to brown and his hair fell back, as if waking from a nightmare at the sound of his name. He looked down at his hands, seeing the blood that stained his front and began trembling as tears filled his eyes.

"N-No… No!" He said. "It…it wasn't going to happen again! I-I-I promised…!"

Atem finally caught up with Shizuka, halting when she held out her arm, and froze at the sight of Ryou and the three bandits.

"I…I did it again…" the youth breathed shakily. "I couldn't stop him… I didn't…_want_ to stop him…!"

Shizuka stabbed her sword into the ground and removed her face mask, letting it hang around her neck. "Bakura, what happened? What did you see?"

"The…the women they took…" he said. "Th-They…raped them…! They used them like they were toys! Just like…! Just like…!" Ryou choked, unable to speak. Only when Shizuka took a few small steps forward did he thrust out his hands. "No! Stay back!"

"Bakura," she took another step forward, her arms out at either side away from any of her _kunai_. "I'm not going to hurt you."

He gave a hysterical laugh filled with grief. "D-Don't come near me…" he said. "I'll…I'll end up killing you, too… I'll kill you…"

But Shizuka pressed forward and grasped the young man's hand gently, disregarding the blood entirely as she held it in both of hers. "I'm not afraid of you, Bakura."

His big brown eyes widened.

"You were angry, you were scared," she said. "You couldn't help yourself."

"B-But…!"

Shizuka took the young magic-user into a gentle embrace, startling the traumatized youth and Pharaoh. "I know what it feels like. To be faced with something so horrible you can't understand how it can really be happening. You can't think. You just lash out."

Ryou trembled in the girl's embrace.

"It's alright, Bakura," she whispered, hugging him tighter. "It's okay. I'm not afraid."

The youth stared, not understanding how this could be true, but could feel no deceit in her words or her embrace. His eyes filled with more tears and he leaned his head down on her shoulder as he wrapped his own arms around her, wailing like a lost child. His legs gave out and Shizuka fell to her knees as well, never letting Ryou out of her arms.

Atem could only stand staring wide-eyed at the sight. He had been appalled at the sight of Ryou and his victims, while Shizuka was unafraid. He couldn't understand what had happened, but Shizuka did somehow.

"_I guess it's so she could understand the pain of those who fight more." _That was what Katsuya had said.

"Yuugi-boy!"

At the play name, Atem turned to meet Pegasus as he slid down the rocky hillside. "Pegasus…"

The sorcerer paused at how slowly the young man had spoken his name, and felt his heart stop at the sight of a sobbing Ryou being embraced by Shizuka. He stopped when he finally noticed the blood covering his young pupil, and then the bodies of his victims.

'_Oh God…!'_

Atem rubbed between his eyes as he fought to straighten his thoughts. "We should…gather what we can and head back," he finally devised. "If everything is safe we can come back with the men of the village to help us."

"Uhh… Yes! Right!" Pegasus' own head started to clear. Gathering the distraught Ryou up, they took him and the abused women back to Cleef.

- - -

At the same time, a certain pair of blue-eyed princes were resting their horses, allowing them to drink and eat.

"So, how long until we reach town?" Mokuba asked his older brother.

"Not long," Seto replied. "Just wait a little longer; you'll be sleeping in a decent bed soon enough."

The black-haired prince sat down next to the river with a content sigh. "I don't mind sleeping outside," he smiled. "I like watching the stars at night; you can't see them very well back home." Mokuba laughed. "You remember… Do you remember when we and Noa would sleep out in the gardens? The maids got so angry; our clothes were grass stained so bad!"

Seto nodded, but didn't smile at the memory. Those times had been before his mother had gone mad, and before Gozaburo had named Noa as the successor to the throne; after those events, Seto had felt the necessity to distance himself from his half brother.

Whether it had been to protect Noa or himself, he wasn't sure. He had never really thought about it, and he chose to avoid it now.

He turned to get something from his saddlebags, when a sudden splash and a gasp from his brother made him whirl around to find a black-haired man holding a knife to Mokuba's throat while a second held the reins of his horse and they were all standing in the river.

"One move and the kid dies!" The one holding the knife pressed the blade further against the younger prince's neck.

Seto's eyes flashed a burning blue and the two bandits shuddered under his glare. But they recovered some of their courage and smiled sickly. "Hey, if the kid's death means nothing to you…" A small cut and a red drop ran down the blade.

"But if it does, drop your sword," the other, bald bandit said. "With your left hand!"

Seto bristled at the slight injury to his brother's person, and Mokuba's infuriated eyes moved from his captors to his brother with no sign of fear.

"Drop it!"

The older brother slowly unbuckled his sword, holding it with his left hand, and held it out as if for them to take it.

"Throw it towards us!"

Seto cast a glance to Mokuba, who nodded. He dropped his sword and while it fell he kicked it at the man holding Mokuba's horse, forcing him to fall back and release the mount which quickly dashed away. While his companion was distracted Seto drew a small dagger from his belt and hurled it at him. The man cried out as the projectile embedded itself in the hand holding the knife, making him drop it, and the black-haired prince took the opportunity to elbow him in the stomach and then kicked him in the back of the knee, causing him to collapse.

When his brother was safely behind him and beside his horse, Alumiss, Seto clapped and slammed his hands to the ground; blue electricity spread down to the river and it suddenly froze solid, holding the two bandits in place. With an incredibly dangerous air, Seto strolled over and stood on the ice. Looking down at the assailants he smiled.

They had no idea who he was, but Prince Seto of the White Dragon Royal Family was known to have a smile like a poisonous flower in bloom in the winter time. It was beautiful, cold and very deadly all at the same time.

And somehow, the two bandits realized that they had made a grave mistake in deciding to try and rob this strange, blue-eyed youth.

"When you threatened my brother, I wanted to kill you," he said in a voice like black velvet. "But you went so far as to actually _cut_ him." He tilted his head and the two cringed. "Do you know what that means?"

The bald one swallowed with difficulty. "Y-Y-You're going to…k-k-ki-kill us?"

Seto's deadly smile broadened. "_YOU. WISH._"

- - -

The stolen families of the village of Cleef were returned and their belongings followed with the second expedition when the men of the village were brought to carry what the hired help could not, by which time the sun was setting.

Upon returning, Ryou immediately left to clean himself up and had not come out for a couple hours.

"I hope he's okay…" Shizuka said to Atem as they took a rest from unloading the stolen treasures from the carts.

"I find myself having some concern for his sanity," the Pharaoh replied.

Shizuka jerked. "Excuse me?"

"The way those men were apart…it was rather frightening."

The slayer glared indignantly. "It was a natural reaction to something violent," she said. "It wasn't completely intentional."

"You can't be sure of that."

"You're impossible!" The fiery-haired slayer turned to storm off, but froze when Atem grabbed her arm.

"I need to know something," he said, making Shizuka look back. "You told Bakura that you know what it feels like to do what he did. How?"

Shizuka flinched and looked away. After a long while of silence she lifted her head as she took a deep, almost steadying breath.

"It was my very first mission as a Slayer," she said quietly. "It was a big problem, so even a newbie like me had to come along with all the veteran slayers. A village had been overrun with undead, a Village of Death as we called them because there were no humans left…"

She took another breath. "There were even more than we thought. It was too much, even for the oldest Slayers to handle; they all ended up dying… That's why most of the strength of the Black Dragon Kingdom are all still young men."

Atem did recall vaguely wondering where all the men were.

"I watched several of my friends get slaughtered right in front of me, and I…I was too scared to move at first, so more died because of me… But then…" she gripped her arm as it began shaking slightly. "When certain creatures are backed into a corner, rather than bowing down in defeat, they lash out uncontrollably…"

- - -

_Gold curls shimmered as they moved, but the bloody sword caught more of the blazing fire's harsh gold rays._

_Past the hair, Shizuka saw the face of her friend and teacher contorted in rage and hate._

_But despite her ceaseless slaughter, tears trailed down her cheeks, smearing and mixing with the spattered blood on her face._

- - -

"For me…" Shizuka went on, "…it was brought on by my desire to live, to survive. But…it was different for her."

Atem blinked. "Her?"

"Surviving was just the eventual outcome," the girl went on as though she hadn't heard him. "It's mostly just a disjointed series of images…but…I don't think that survival occurred to her in any conscious way. All she wanted was to kill them all…" Shizuka choked and finally met Atem's gaze with her tear-brimmed eyes. "It's my fault that she became like that…because I wasn't strong enough to lift a finger until her brother was dead…!"

The Pharaoh could only stare, unsure what to say.

"_That_ is how I understand what happened to Bakura," she said. "And that is why I fight. I'll fight to protect everything that's precious…to everyone." With that, she turned and walked away.

Atem sighed. "I understand…but at the same time I don't."

"Things were simpler back in the desert lands, eh?"

"Much…"

The Pharaoh froze when he realized someone else had spoken, and that voice belonged neither to Shizuka nor Katsuya. Slowly turning, Atem met Pegasus' smiling face.

"I had been hoping to talk with you about this," the sorcerer said. "Lord Pharaoh, yes?"

At first Atem was startled, but his unease ebbed away, almost vanishing from his thoughts completely. He barely acknowledged to blue-green glow wrapped around the man's hand before it disappeared.

"Why don't we grab a cup of tea and you can tell me about yourself, hm?"

- - -

Ryou finished drying his hair and looked at the fogged over mirror listlessly.

The room was filled with a sweet smelling steam, but it did nothing to cover the stench of blood lingering deep in his skin. As he had always done, Ryou had scrubbed hard and until his skin hurt, but even that failed to help.

The blood of his victims had always been there, covering every inch of his body.

The youth gathered his ruined clothes to be disposed of, as well as the gold ring he had retrieved from one of the bandits. It was Pegasus' wedding band; perhaps the most important thing to him next to Queen Cyndia herself. Ryou had meant to return it to his master earlier, but had decided to clean it first, quietly hoping the blood hadn't ruined it at all.

Flashes of memory from that nightmarish moment made him cringe and he quickly left the bathing room. He quickened his pace as he headed down the hall, as if to get away from the deeper memories creeping up from the dark.

But they caught up with him…

- - -

_His parents, his friends, all the people of his village were dead. Killed at the hands of ruthless barbarians, and even now the houses were dying in the flames of their slaughter._

_He hated them._

_He hated all of them._

_But he was alive. He was alive and would make sure those murderers paid for what they did._

_Rushing down to his father's underground library, he tore through the bookshelves of knowledge and forgotten manuscripts. His father had been the head of the village, so most of the sacred and forbidden material was here._

_Whether he spent hours or days in the dimly lit chamber he was never sure, but he finally found what he needed._

_He was very strong in the magic arts, matching his father, but he was still just a boy. He needed a strength surpassing his own, but fueled by the same hate._

_He cut his hand, drawing the array in his blood, and cast the spell. A whirlwind of purple fire ignited, making the lamps go out and loose papers scatter._

_The fire was intense, but there was hardly any heat at all. Shielding his face with his arms from the more violent winds, he managed to look up. And in the fire, he saw a figure rise up._

_It was a man; his skin was the dark color of a desert-dweller and his eyes were the same color of the fire surrounding him. But his hair matched the same pure white as the boy who had called him._

_The spirit and the boy observed each other in silence, but somehow they understood they were the same._

_Kneeling down, the man took the boy's cut hand in his own and lay a gentle kiss on the injury. The man vanished and the boy felt as though he had been hit in the chest by a charging horse and collapsed._

_But he never felt his body impact with the floor, it was as if he was eternally falling into an empty void and he was afraid. But his fear instantly turned to torment and he let out a scream of agony; he felt like blood had been replaced with the essence of a volcano and was dying within his own skin. Suddenly his scream halted in his throat and he found he couldn't breathe, as though he were drowning, and tears poured down his face and out his mouth._

_And then, just as suddenly as the torment took hold of him, he was released._

_He lay breathing for a few moments, coughing to allow air to enter his lungs, and was sure that he wouldn't be able to move for a great while._

_** We can get up. **_

_And just like that he felt his body stand upright, still a little winded, but with next to no pain or difficulty. He suddenly realized that he couldn't feel his hands or feet, or any part of his skin for that matter; it was as if he was dreaming and watched from the back of his thoughts._

_** I will find them… ** The voice from before spoke again. ** I will find them and kill them for you. **_

- - -

Ryou shut his eyes as tears burned them.

Shizuka had been partially right, but not completely. He had gone after the bandits with the intent to kill them. Just as he had hunted for the murderers of his people back then.

He wasn't innocent of anything. He was a murderer. He was a monster.

Turning a corner, Ryou collided with a firm body and would have fallen, had the person not grasped his arm and the corner to steady the both of them.

The stranger released a breath as he righted himself and let go of the magic-user's arm. "Be careful!"

"S…sorry…"

The apprentice sorcerer met a pair of amethyst-colored eyes set into a dark face framed by sandy-colored hair.

Malik blinked when he saw the tears on his collision mate's face. "Are you alright?"

Normally, especially when faced with a stranger, Ryou would have nodded and continued on his way. But seeing the concern on the desert youth's face granted him a strange sense of security. And he recognized it as the same feeling from when Pegasus had found him all those years ago, and when he had been in Shizuka's arms earlier that day.

Realizing that, he bowed his head and allowed himself to cry, feeling he wouldn't be hurt in this stranger's presence.

Malik, sensing the youth's pain and unsure of what else to do, stood with him and waited.

- - -

Katsuya held his arms up until Shizuka finished changing his bandages. Despite how he had been told to rest, the blond slayer felt better than he ever had, even with regular wounds. And it was only eight o'clock of the day following his injury.

"Atem can sure do a good number on a guy, huh?"

Shizuka didn't respond as she gathered the old strips of cloth and threw them into a wastebasket.

Katsuya blinked. "Somethin' wrong?"

"Just the usual," the young woman replied.

Her brother sighed. "Atem?"

"Atem," Shizuka nodded.

As if on cue, the Pharaoh housed in their prince's body burst into the room, panting and sweating. It was obvious something was wrong.

"Atem, what is it?"

"We must leave. _Now_," he said.

"Why?" Katsuya slung his legs over the side of the bed so that his feet were on the floor. "What happened?"

"Pegasus, he…" Atem shook his head. "I'm not sure how, but I told him the truth."

"WHAT!"

Shizuka crossed the room, closing the distance between her and the Pharaoh. "What did you tell him?"

"Everything," he replied. "My coming into this body, the loss of your prince, our quest…!"

"Why?"

Atem shook his head. "I don't know. While he inquired, it was as though nothing was wrong and there was no reason to keep the truth from him. But…when he left, it was like waking up and I realized what happened. I…!" He bowed his head.

Shizuka looked to her brother as he joined her and the Pharaoh. "_Onii-chan_…?"

"It must've been a spell or somethin'," he said. "I've heard of stuff like that with magicians."

"But what do we do?"

"We'll leave," Katsuya replied. "Gather our stuff; we'll head out after dinner."

Nodding, Shizuka dashed out of the room to carry out her brother's directions.

"You too," he told Atem. "We'll need to leave quick."

Atem continued to stare at the floor. "I don't understand how he did that to me…"

"Magic itself is hard to understand, and that makes it harder to fight against," Katsuya said as he pulled on a clean shirt.

"I am Pharaoh!" The youth shouted. "I hold the status of the Gods themselves! Nothing is meant to be outside my control!"

The blond looked at the king trapped in the body of his best friend and prince. He moved and placed his hand on the spiky-haired youth's shoulder.

Atem looked up at the contact and saw a strange calm not often seen on Katsuya's face.

"I won't pretend that I can tell you how you can deal with this," the slayer said. "But you gotta understand that there are things in life you have no control over."

Atem shook his head, not willing to believe.

"Atem, it's true," Katsuya went on. "When you accept that, you can understand where the rest of us are coming from."

The Pharaoh lowered his eyes. _'I want to return home…'_

- - -

"You're leaving?" Miho asked as she watched Shizuka gather her things. "How come?"

"Something came up," the fiery-haired slayer replied. "I was looking forward to the festival, but we have to get going."

The merchant girl cast her eyes down the floor as she gripped her hands against her chest. She made her decision and straightened. "I've decided to leave, too."

Shizuka turned. "What?"

"I…I've decided that I want to get away from my father's business and go somewhere safe," Miho said. "And I want to go to your hometown. I'm sure I can be happy there."

The slayer sighed and scratched her head. "It's not all it's cracked up to be," she said. "But…when you get there, I'm sure they won't turn you away."

The girl smiled gratefully.

Shizuka wasn't sure she was doing the right thing by sending Miho to her home, the life of a slayer was hard enough for her who had decided when she was fairly young; there was no telling for Miho. But she would help as best she could and send her on her way.

- - -

Malik and Ryou sat in the hall. The illegitimate shaman was still somewhat confused, but had thought it would be better not to leave the boy to cry alone.

Ryou's sobs had died down and he finally calmed his breathing. "I'm… I'm sorry."

"What about?" Malik inquired.

"For sitting here, wailing like a heartbroken woman…" the white-haired youth replied, pulling his knees up to his chin. "I'm sure I've bothered you…"

The desert youth considered this as he leaned his head back to look up at the ceiling. "Well, man or woman, anyone who is broken-hearted should cry if that's what they need," he said. "Admittedly, tears do little in the face of animosity." He looked back at the white-haired youth with a smile. "But I still like to think that it helps to relieve some pain."

Ryou looked up at his sitting companion curiously. He had always heard that the desert folk were hard warriors, never failing to bring down a weak enemy; for this young man to tell him it was alright to cry… It was strange.

His thoughts were interrupted, however, when he felt something tugging on his pant leg. He looked down, at his shadow and found a pair of yellow eyes in a rather obscure place. Recognizing the gaze belonging to his master's doppelganger, he leaned his head back against the wall and made a shadow for the creature to move up and whisper in his ear.

"Ryou," it spoke in Pegasus' voice. "Best gather your things, we'll be leaving shortly."

The apprentice sorcerer nodded and the eyes vanished. "I apologize for bothering you," he said to Malik. "We're complete strangers, but you still… Thank you very much for you concern."

"It's fine," the dark-skinned youth said.

Ryou got to his feet and dusted himself off before bowing. "I have to be going now. Sorry again for troubling you."

Malik also stood. "It was nothing," he replied. "Good luck to you."

The sorcerer nodded and headed off down the hall.

Malik sighed as he watched after him and headed downstairs. As he headed down the hall towards the dining area, one of the rooms ahead opened and out stepped a fiery-haired young woman with a bag slung over her shoulder.

He had never seen hair like that before in his life, it was such a strange and entrancing color. But what made him pause in his walk was a strange ringing sound.

It was very a pretty sound with a clear tone.

- - -

Shizuka paused as she closed the door to the room she had shared with Miho when she heard a familiar ringing. _'That's the same sound from…'_

It sounded very close and came from her right. She turned, meeting the amethyst gaze of a pale-haired desert youth standing not too far from her.

- - -

It was as if a bell had been struck and the two were surrounded in the clear tone of it.

- - -

Pegasus paused in his packing when he heard something akin to a bell ring out. He immediately recognized it as the same sound from when he had first seen Shizuka.

But it sounded different somehow.

"Master?" Ryou hefted his bag onto his shoulder. "Is something the matter?"

The sorcerer thought a moment before facing his apprentice. "Are you finished packing?"

"Yes, sir."

Pegasus slung his own bag over his shoulder. "Then let's go."

- - -

"Shizuka!"

The young slayer and shaman were snapped from their trance and looked further down the hall. Katsuya stood at the end of the dining room waving to his sister.

"Come on! We gotta grab somethin' to eat and go!" He called.

"Okay!" The young woman called back.

When her brother turned away, Shizuka looked back at the sandy-haired desert youth, who stared right back.

No sound came at their meeting of eyes this time.

Confused and unsure as to what it all meant, Shizuka turned and dashed away to join her brother in the dining hall filled with people celebrating the return of their families and belongings.

- - -

Malik waited until the fiery-haired girl disappeared into the crowd of people before turning back the way he had come and dashed up the stairs.

'_What **was** that…?'_

- - -

Shizuka finished saddling her horse and led it out of the stable to join her brother and Atem in the street. It was dark, as the moon hadn't risen yet, and a gentle late-summer fog filled the streets.

"Got everything?" Katsuya asked.

"Ready," the young woman replied, mounting her horse. She looked to the estranged Pharaoh, mounted on his own horse and noticed his lost expression. "Atem? Are you alright?"

He sighed, bowing his head as he closed his eyes. "I've…I've never had a spell on me before," he said. "I've never been in a world where I had no control."

"Atem…"

"It's not always possible to go through life without trial and change, my Lord Pharaoh."

Everyone turned to the new, but familiar voice and found Pegasus and Ryou standing a few yards from them in the fog holding the reins of their retrieved horses.

Shizuka moved so that her horse was positioned between the sorcerers and Atem, while Katsuya glared angrily at the new arrivals.

"_Omae_…!"

Pegasus merely smiled. "I heard your story, and after much consideration, I have decided that Ryou and I will be joining you."

"WHAT!"

"Our situations seem rather similar," the man went on, leading his mount and Ryou closer to the trio. "My wife was attacked and has fallen into a deep sleep. Ryou and I set out to find a cure of some sort to wake her, and have met you. I highly doubt that this could be mere coincidence."

"You say that, but how can you expect us to trust you?" Katsuya asked and pointed an accusing finger at the silver-haired man. "You put a spell on Atem, made him tell you everything!"

The Pharaoh cast his ruby gaze aside.

"I do apologize for my rudeness—"

"_Rudeness_!" Katsuya spat.

"—earlier, but I was doubtful that he would have spoken truthfully otherwise," he finished coolly. "I can assure you that I would never to any harm to any of you."

"And you just expect us to believe you?"

Pegasus directed his remaining eye to Shizuka. "_You_ believe me," he said, making her stiffen. "Because you know it to be true."

The fiery-haired slayer didn't want to oppose her brother, but she did believe what Pegasus said. She didn't know why, but she trusted him as much as she trusted Katsuya.

The sorcerer stepped closer to the girl, but her brother quickly cut in front of him.

Even so, he kept his gaze fixed on Shizuka. "That moment we shared, when our eyes first met. That light and sound…"

Shizuka went rigid.

"I don't know what it was, but I feel that there is something important between us. I know there is."

"What are you talking about?" Katsuya demanded. "What light? What sound?" He paused, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he reached for his sword. "Just _what_ happened between you and my sister?"

Pegasus groaned. "Nothing I'm certain your mind is giving your apparently dirty teenage mind ideas about."

"I'm TWENTY!" The blond exploded. "I am _not_ a teenager, you fruity asshole!"

"And _I_ am a married man, as I mentioned before," the sorcerer returned, holding up his left hand to show off his wedding band, which Ryou had returned to him.

Katsuya opened his mouth to snap back, but never had the chance to speak when Atem cut in. "Let them come with us."

The blond turned to face his travel mate. "After what he did!"

The Pharaoh looked to the girl beside him. "Shizuka, _do_ you trust him?"

The young woman looked between Atem and Pegasus, hesitating a long moment before nodding.

"You trusted _me_ before, so I will stand by your decision to trust him."

Katsuya growled, but slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Fine! They can come with us."

Pegasus and Ryou mounted their horses, but Katsuya caught the master sorcerer's arm, stopping him as he started to ride past him.

"I'll put up with you," the blond said. "But I _don't_ trust you, and I don't _like_ you either. Got it?"

The silver-haired man smiled sweetly, making the slayer cringe before releasing his arm. After which, Pegasus looked to Atem and bowed. "Again, I apologize for my earlier actions."

The Pharaoh looked away. "I do not forgive you," he said. "However, I will…_overlook_…your actions for the moment."

"Thank you, Yuugi-boy!" Pegasus smile broadened at the somewhat startled look he received from Atem. "If you intend to go by an alias, you need to exploit it better."

Together, the mismatched group from three kingdoms departed from the small town of Cleef.

- - -

- - -

Wheet-whoo!

That took forever! But I got it done!


	16. Between Shamans and Princes

Yay! An update! Sorry it took so long, lost inspiration for a bit, plus I had Finals and _Graduation_!

Cheer for me! I'm done with school and now have to suffer through the real world. I'm nervous as all heck because I swore I would look for a job this summer.

But enough about me, that's not why you read this stuff. ONWARD!

- - -

- - -

**Chapter Fifteen: Between Shamans and Princes…**

Malik awoke to the sound of a light rain against his window. Opening one eye he saw that it was late morning and rolled onto his side to avoid the day.

He promptly remembered that he had instructed Rishid to have him up at dawn and sat up with a start.

- - - -

Rishid finished brushing the fur of his horse, and turned to see that Isis had also finished. "You didn't have to help me, Lady Isis," he said. "It is my duty to see to these things so that you and Master Malik are not troubled by them."

"I am no longer a Priestess, Rishid," the woman smiled. "As such, I deserve no special treatment anymore."

"I do not serve you because you were once a Priestess, Lady," the man said. "I have sworn my life to you and Master Malik, and since the day of my nativity to this instant I have served you because that is what I want."

"Rishid…"

It was just then that Malik stormed into the stable, rain water dampening his hair. "Rishid! I wanted to be up at dawn!"

"_I_ told him to leave you," Isis said, taking a towel out of her saddlebag before she approached her younger brother.

"We could have made a good distance by now, even with the rain!" The youth groaned as the woman wiped the water from his face and hair.

"You haven't slept well these past few days," she replied. "So far, you haven't actually required Rishid to wake you. The fact that you slept through the night without any disturbances and you slept past dawn seemed like a blessing, so I allowed you to sleep." She placed the towel upon the youth's head as she rubbed his sandy-colored hair dry. "Furthermore, I sense this rain will get too dangerous for us to travel today."

Malik tore the towel from his sister's hands as she covered his head again. "That still doesn't give you the right to—"

The youth cut off as a series of shouts and screams of profanity filled the air, calling his attention to the street outside.

Looking out the stable doors, he found other heads poking out the windows of the surrounding buildings to see what the disturbance was though several windows shut as women sought to protect their children's ears.

Malik stepped out into the street and soon found the source of the cursing fast approaching. Two horses of the finest breed—matching the Pharaoh's own mount—sped up the street, each dragging a man with their arms tied to a length of rope in their wake. The desert youth recalled such a punishment for thieves and vagabonds, and he wondered, recalling what he and his siblings had gone through a day prior, if that was the case here.

Malik saw the taller of the two riders and froze when he heard a familiar ringing noise. It grew louder as he approached, and then faint when he sped past the stable.

- - - -

Seto dismounted as they stopped in front of an inn and went to see how well the rope held up during the drag, satisfied that it wasn't nearly as damaged as the bandit it held. Of course, he and Mokuba were mostly at fault for their assailants' beaten and battered condition.

"Can I…help you?"

He turned to meet a middle-aged man holding a circular tray over his head to keep his head dry.

"My brother and I—" Mokuba waved from his saddle, "—were confronted by these men, sustained some injury and were nearly robbed," Seto said. "Do you know where they may be held so that we will have no further worry of this?"

Arthur blinked as he processed what the young man had said; it was obvious the blue-eyed youth was not a local from his formal dialect. "Well, yes," he finally replied. "There is a…prison of sorts a couple blocks away where we're keeping the other bandits."

"_Other_ bandits?"

"Yes. We've had a difficulty with them lately, but it's all taken care of now," Arthur smiled.

"HEY! Help! These guys're _crazy_!" The bandit behind Seto's horse exclaimed, having finally regained his breath. "They're tryin' to kill us! They're nut—"

Seto stepped on the man's head, crushing his face into the mud of the street and effectively silencing any further outcries. He then looked back at Arthur, not really caring about the man's slightly horrified expression. "Are you the owner of this establishment?"

"Uh… Yes! Yes, I am," he nodded.

"Are there any vacancies?"

"Oh! Yes, there are rooms available."

"Hold one for myself and my brother," Seto instructed. "We've been on the road for a while and will want a decent place to sleep when we return from dropping these men off."

The innkeeper nodded. "Of course."

As Seto turned to mount Alumiss, he caught a faint ringing sound. Curious, he caught a sandy-blond color shimmering out of the corner of his eye and turned to see three desert-dwellers making their way toward the inn.

- - - -

Sapphire met amethyst and something was struck.

The clear tone of a strange bell rang out, filling the air with light of every color.

- - - -

Isis jerked when she felt an enormous spiritual presence emitting from her brother; looking with her second sight she could see a gold flare outline the youth, strings of it leading out to her and Rishid and another possibly belonging to the Pharaoh Atem. But there was something that looked like a chain of light leading out to…

She followed it and was surprised to find it connected with the brown-haired, blue-eyed youth that had just entered town. She was shocked further when she saw a similar white light surrounding him; a thread of white connected to the black-haired boy on horseback, and a couple others leading out into the distance.

- - - -

"_Nii-sama_?" Mokuba nudged his older sibling, who jerked with a start at the contact. "Are you alright?" He asked as he put his hand to his heart as it pounded rapidly from the scare.

Seto looked from Mokuba to the desert youth who rubbed his eyes dizzily.

'_Something about that seemed so familiar…'_ he thought. Trying to recall where he had first heard and seen that, he could only get vague images from his childhood of a young man with…silver hair?

Finally deciding it must have been something caused by fatigue he mounted his horse. "Let's go."

Without questioning further, Mokuba followed after his brother.

- - - -

Malik watched after the two riders until they turned the corner.

'_Again…'_ That was the second time he had heard that sound and seen the light. _'But what does it mean?'_

"Malik, are you alright?" Isis asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I…" He looked off in the direction the two had gone. "I'm not sure…"

Arthur turned to three of his guests and he held the tray over Isis' head to keep the rain off her already-wet head, smiling at her confused expression. "Come now! Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Uh…" Isis looked to Malik and Rishid who both nodded. "No. We have not eaten…this morning." Her grasp of the new language was much better than their own and thus chose to leave most of the talking to her.

His smile broadened. "Well then, what do you say we correct that? It's almost lunch now, actually. So let us go eat."

- - - -

After visiting several villages during their journey, and having all of them refuse them board, it seemed strange to the Ishtars to be treated so kindly all of a sudden. Arthur served several of his best breakfast and lunch dishes and treated them to the best extent and with so much gusto you could taste it in the air.

Malik lifted a spoon from the table and stared at it; it was similar to their eating utensils back in the Gold regions, however it lacked the teeth along the top. He then looked at a fork and quirked an eyebrow curiously as he looked between the two utensils. "This country is strange…"

"Is it culture shock?" Asked a voice directly beside the desert youth.

He turned to the table next to the one he shared with his sister and Rishid, meeting Mokuba's deep blue gaze. He and his elder brother had returned rather quickly from putting away their assailants, quietly taking a table in the somewhat crowded room.

"_Nii-sama_ told me your eating utensils are like a cross between a fork and a spoon," the boy went on. "What do you call them, 'sporks'?"

Malik couldn't help smiling. "You funny…" he said in a rather broken dialect, as it was not his native tongue.

Mokuba grinned, displaying all of his perfect white teeth before turning back around in his chair at his brother's urging to continue with his breakfast.

Malik moved his attention from the younger brother to his older sibling. He had neither felt nor heard anything more when he looked at him, but having experienced the strange trance before with that girl, he was sure it had to mean something.

Out of the blue, Arthur and several helping hands placed a plate of cake on each table for each person.

"Forgive me…" Isis said. "We did not…request this…"

"It's on the house," the innkeeper smiled as he deposited two plates on the Kaiba brothers' table. "It's in celebration."

"Of?" Seto inquired, giving a nod for his brother to eat the cake.

"Yesterday we were freed from the tyranny of Bandit Keith and his gang," Arthur replied. "I had no time to really celebrate like the others, though there was a fair amount of people celebrating here last night, so I felt I should do this."

"How did you get rid of the bandits?" Mokuba asked.

At this, the whole room of people jumped in to explain.

"It was the help of a group of strangers," one man said.

"Two pale-haired sorcerers, a red-eyed boy and his two other companions…uh…"

"Two Slayers," another man went on. "A blond boy and his fiery-haired sister."

Malik started. "Fiery-haired…?"

"Aye!" The men laughed. "Never before had I seen hair such a vibrant red!"

"A face as pretty as that one, either!" Cheered another.

"Aye! A face like white porcelain," the first went on. "So gentle, but as strong as steel, says I!"

The amethyst-eyed youth recalled the girl he had crossed paths with in the hall, when he had experienced his first trance, and was sure she and the girl still being praised were one and the same.

"You said…girl and her brother were…Slayers…" Isis said. "What is…Slayer?"

"It's a person that combats and kills Deep dwelling creatures," Seto replied, drawing the woman's attention to him as he lifted his cup of coffee. _'Slayers originate in the Black Dragon Kingdom,'_ he thought as he brought his mug to his lips._ 'What could they be doing all the way out here…?'_

Isis looked back to Arthur. "And this girl…did battle with these robbers?"

The man nodded. "Yes."

The former priestess' eyes settled back on the table and narrowed slightly as she lapsed back into her mother language. "Barbaric…"

- - - -

Directly after their meal, the two princes went to their room where Mokuba promptly fell asleep.

Seto, meanwhile, kept watch over his little brother as he sat by the window reading one of the books they had brought with them. However, he continued to look up from the pages to gaze out the window at the steadily falling rain beyond the glass.

It had started to fall harder and fiercer than it had that morning, and he began to worry that it might be worse the next day if it didn't let up. Admittedly, he was not particularly concerned with his own comfort, but rather his brother's. Such a harsh storm would definitely be a tough opponent for the boy to face.

Seto turned his attention from the window to the door as the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs and stopping just in front of his door caught his attention. Instinctively, his hand went to his sword, but relaxed when the person knocked.

"Enter."

The door opened and in stepped Malik. For a time all the two did was stare at each other.

"Malik…" The desert youth searched his brain. "_I_…needs…speak with you." He bowed. "Beseech you…"

Seto closed the book and set it down on the table. "You're dialogue is horrid," he said. "When did you learn to speak our language?"

Malik shrugged. "Not long before…" he replied. "Just not good…"

The blue-eyed prince shrugged. "You have three minutes."

Considering his little time, Malik chose to cut right to the point. "When…eyes met…ago…_this morning_…" he said. "Felt something."

Seto's schooled features gave no hint of the surprise that shot through his brain. _'So it wasn't just me?'_ Out loud he said, "So what?"

"Did you…feel also?"

The prince was silent as he considered his answer. "If I did? What would you do?"

"Just…wants…know what is," Malik said.

"Your grasp of our language really is terrible," Seto said again with a hint of amusement the sandy-haired youth didn't appreciate.

"Yes o' no?" He asked.

"If it will get you to leave, no," the prince replied retrieving his book and opening it again.

Malik stared at the older boy's profile a moment before turning away and opening the door. It was there he stopped and looked back. "Lies…are unbecoming…"

And with that, he left, closing the door behind him.

- - - -

The cavern was dark and reeked of death. He coveted the feeling of the lost souls that filled the sealed air of the wretched place.

Walking through the tomb, his clawed hands brushed over the rotting bodies on either side of the path, until finally each hand caught the hair of a certain head and tore them from their rotting bodies.

Each dead face was contorted in horror as he carried them to the altar. There lay two separate jars, each with a faint black mist trailing out the mouths of the ceramic pieces.

He then dropped the heads into each jar, and the mist became thicker as moans filled the air. He uttered words of that same horrid language he had used to enter the Shrine and the cries of the tortured souls increased as he cut the palms of his hands with his own claws. He allowed no more than four drops of black blood to fall into each jar before clenching his hands again; when at last he opened them, his injuries were gone.

The room was filled with screams now as the black smoke filled every corner of the tomb, and ever so carefully, he pulled two of his white hairs from his head, dropping one into each jar. The smoke shot back into the jars and the room was clear again, until the ceramic shattered and two deformed lumps of hair fell to the ground.

And with that, Akunadin left the tomb to allow his creatures to grow and fester before they freed themselves to carry out the purpose of their birth.

- - - -

Malik snapped awake, sitting upright with a gasp. He hissed with pain as the mark on his back burned and he gripped over his shoulder to try and dull the pain. The feeling of his cool fingers seemed to calm whatever it was that made him burn and it slowly faded away, leaving him breathless.

However, despite the pain of his back, that had not been what shocked him awake. He tried to recall what his nightmare had been, but all he could remember through the blackness was the constant moans of pain and agony.

'_How horrible…!'_

He pushed aside his blankets and went to the window. It was still raining, though not as heavily as it had earlier that day. It was light enough for them to continue on their course.

From that ominous dream, he wanted them to be on their way quickly.

"Master Malik?" Rishid rose from his bed. "Is something the matter?"

The youth looked back to his foster brother and servant. "We leave at dawn."

- - - -

Seto walked down the stairs groggily, slowly following after Mokuba who watched him with concern.

"_Nii_-_sama_, _daijoubou_?"

"Hm…" The older prince replied. In truth his sleep the previous night had been fitful, filled with dark images and horrible sounds he couldn't recall clearly.

Making it down to the dining area, Seto and Mokuba took a table. The elder of the two looked around the room curiously as they waited to be served, until Arthur came to wait on them.

"Excuse me, where are those three people from yesterday?" He asked. "The desert natives."

"Oh, well…" The innkeeper thought a moment. "They left early this morning. Since the rain was letting up, I suppose they felt they could continue on their way."

"Hm…" Seto bridged his fingers together and leaned his chin on them as he looked out the window. The weather had fallen to a light drizzle, and he also agreed it would be better for them to get back on the road.

But more than that…

He had that feeling, resting heavy in the pit of his stomach that someone was after him. He had become accustomed to feeling this right before an assassination attempt on him or his brother.

'_Someone's coming.'_

- - - -

The two abominations grew, and with their size as did their hate.

Their hate for life; their hate for those who were content while they were not; their hate for the light.

But most of all…their hate for _them_.

_ We…hate them…! _

_ Kill…! Kill them! KILL! _

- - - -

Mokuba finished adjusting his saddlebags, and looked up just as his brother jerked and shot his gaze around the stable. He had noticed Seto's strangely jumpy behavior since they had gotten up this morning, but the worse it became, the more the black-haired boy was sure something was wrong.

"_Nii_-_sama_?"

Seto turned his blue gaze to his little brother before returning his attention to his horse. "_Nani_, Mokuba?"

"What's the matter?" The youngest of the three White Dragon Princes inquired. "You've been acting strange all morning."

The older of the two finished adjusting his horse's bit. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. "Something's been bothering me, that is all…"

Before Mokuba could ask further, Arthur came rushing into the stable, shaking what rain had managed to soak his hair while he held out a small bundle. "Forgive me, masters. But I was uncertain as to how long your journey would be before you reach another town. But I fixed this up for you nonetheless."

Seto took the bundle and stared at it curiously.

"Two sandwiches and a small cake to split between you," the innkeeper smiled. "Do take care on your way, this storm feels treacherous."

Seto nodded while Mokuba vocalized his gratitude as they mounted their horses and pulled up their hoods.

"Good luck to you on your festival day," Mokuba smiled and they rode out into the storm.

- - - -

Time wore on as they rode, eventually bringing them to the edge of a forest that seemed to cover even the mountains miles away.

Seto took the map from his pouch, brushing away the water that dripped from his hood into his eyes. "Durace Forest…" he read. "It covers most of the Pict Bridge Mountains and is totally riddled with ancient ruins, but if we cut through it we should make it to Dora in a little less than two days."

"Sounds good to me," Mokuba nodded.

"_Yosh_…" Seto folded the map and returned it to his pouch. "_Iikou_." He cracked Alumiss' reins, and Mokuba repeated the action with Valent and they shot into the forest.

Surprisingly, the further they went in to the forest, the harder the rain came down.

"I thought it was getting clearer," Mokuba said, trying to see the sky through the trees, but failing. "I wonder where this came from…"

Seto's cloak was becoming heavy with the amount of rain it was absorbing and he was certain his little brother was fairing no better. Pushing on a little further, they soon found themselves before a ruined building the forest was so well-known for.

"Mokuba!" He shouted to be heard over the falling rain. "We'll take shelter in there!"

"Okay!" The boy replied and followed his older brother into the ruins.

Once inside, they dismounted, tying their reins to some boulders and tore off their wet cloaks, draping them over the same rocks to let them dry out. "We're most likely stuck here until the storm lets up," Seto sighed. _'I do wonder where this all came from though…'_

"_Nii_-_sama_!" Mokuba hissed, calling Seto's attention to where he crouched against a wall of fallen rock. "There's someone here!"

The older brother looked up to the ceiling, and while there was a large structured hole that allowed water to fall in and make something akin to a small lake, he also saw firelight shining against the stone.

Cautiously, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, Seto made his way around the fallen boulders. What he came upon was somewhat of a surprise.

It was none other than the Ishtars all sitting around a makeshift fire.

Noticing another presence, Isis looked up, followed by Malik and Rishid. "It appears we are all trapped by this rain…" she said.

"So it would seem," Seto replied. Without understanding why, he relaxed his grip on his weapon.

Mokuba came from around the rock and smiled when he caught sight of Malik. "Culture Shock!"

"Mokuba…"

The boy covered his mouth under his brother's gaze. "_Gomen_."

Malik smiled. "It is…well…?"

"Alright," Isis corrected.

"Alright?" Malik blinked before smiling again. "It is _alright_."

"Would you care…to join us?" Isis motioned to the large space across from her, between Rishid and her brother. "It will help to dry yourselves of the rain."

"_Aa_," Seto nodded to his brother and they took the offered place by the fire. The elder prince was careful not too look to his left, in order to avoid eye contact with Malik who sat on the other side of his brother.

"Crazy weather, huh?" Mokuba smiled as he wrung out his hair.

"It is indeed…insane…?" Malik looked to his sister who shrugged. He also shrugged and looked back to the boy beside him. "Is…very cold. _I_ am…_unused_…to such…_weather_."

"Is it very hot in the desert, even in the winter?" Mokuba inquired.

"Winter?" Malik blinked.

"The cold time of the year," the boy explained.

The older, sandy-haired youth shook his head. "Have no…cold time of…year."

Mokuba shook his head of any excess water. "Hm. Weird,"

"Weeerd…" Malik repeated.

"Not 'weeerd,' 'weird,'" the black-haired boy said.

"Weeerd."

Isis smiled at her brother's gradual grasp of the new language, before she settled her dove-blue gaze upon the older of the two arrivals.

Mokuba brought out the prepared meal given to them from Arthur to split with his brother, and a halo of happy colors surrounded him. He was so happy to have someone do something for him out of the goodness of their heart. She found that a little odd, but smiled at his strange happiness.

Seto had a very complex aura; it was a very defensive, almost as if he were afraid of an attack from anywhere, but at the same time it was gentle, most likely toward his brother. She tried to search for the white that she had seen the previous day, but could find no trace of it.

"That's very rude."

The former priestess snapped out of her pensive state at the sound of the blue-eyed boy's voice. "Eh?"

"It's very rude to stare," he said again, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

Isis blinked at the statement, not sure what to say in reply, and simply looked at the popping fire.

Brushing it off, Seto returned to his meal.

Malik watched the blue-eyed youth out of the corner of his eye, wondering. Maybe he did experience the trance, but like the desert boy himself, Seto had no way of explaining it. At that thought, he sighed and looked away, concentrating all of his attention on the rain leaking in through the structured hole.

For a time, the only sound in the ruins was the steadily falling rain.

When all at once, both Seto and Malik felt a tremor and jumped to their feet.

"_Doshitano_—" Seto raised his hand to his brother in a motion for silence, to which Mokuba immediately complied.

The two youths' eyes shot all around the ruins, their sound of their rapidly beating hearts filling their ears almost to the point it hurt.

'_Something's wrong… What is it?'_ They wondered. _'Who's there?'_

Seto looked to Alumiss and Valent, finding them pulling at their reins and shaking around uneasily. Now the prince was sure something was wrong.

Malik gave a short outcry as pain shot through his back in the pattern carved into his skin and dropped to one knee at the burning intensity of it.

Rishid and Isis were at his side instantly.

"Malik!"

"Master Malik!"

The boy dug his nails into his shoulder as he ground his teeth, attempting to divert the pain to something else, but it remained as the patterned scar on his back.

"Malik, what is it?" His sister asked.

"My…my back is burning…!"

Isis moved behind him and lifted up the back of his shirt, gasping upon the sight of the patterned scar on her brother's back pulsing as the design turned black. "Rishid!"

The man jumped to attention.

"The sacred water in my bag! Bring it to me!"

As Rishid hurried to carry out the woman's order, Seto whirled around. "Shut up! No one move!"

Immediately, all of them froze in place and Malik bit into his hand to keep from crying out as the pulsing pain steadily increased.

Suddenly, Seto and Malik both looked up to the structured hole in the ceiling just as a dripping lump sealed it up, as it appeared to large to come in through it.

It was an enormous black monster, unlike any they had ever seen before and could hardly make it out. Tentacle-like appendages grew out from it and reached out toward the ground. When all it felt was rock and water, a large red eye opened from the black and focused on the group around the fire.

Images of blood and fire flooded Isis' thoughts and she screamed as she covered her ears in attempt to drown out the screams of horror and torment.

At the sound, the monster's tentacles shot out for the woman, but missed as Malik jumped up, grabbed his sister and rolled out of the way. Immediately, both he and Rishid took positions between Isis and the monster.

One of the tentacles, having missed the two siblings, landed in the fire and immediately erupted into flames. A horrible sound like a dying child flooded the ruins and they all had to cover their ears to avoid drowning in the monster's torment.

Seto quickly drew his sword and ran at the burning appendage. With a single stroke, he severed the tentacle from the monster, making it cry out again. He cut the other tentacle away and it dropped to the ground in lump as the rest drew back.

But it was a brief relief before Isis called out, making everyone turn. Another tentacle had come through the other entrance and around the pile of rock, wrapping around her limbs before pulling her out into the rain. The lump blocking the structure hole also moved, allowing rain to fall in once again

"ISIS!" Malik charged out into the storm, quickly followed by Rishid.

Seto turned to his brother. "Mokuba, stay here!" And with that, he too ran out into the rain.

Mokuba started after him, but stopped when he caught sight and smell of the burning tentacle. _'That smell…that smells like…'_

He looked from the burned lump to the one his brother had cut off which lay on the ground only a short distance from him. Swallowing hard as he drew his sword, Mokuba approached the lump, nudging it with his foot before kneeling down to pick it up.

He was shocked when the lump rustled and fell apart in long black strands of… _'Hair!'_ He looked back to the burning lump of hair. "I was right! It _was_ burning hair!"

- - - -

Outside, the others found the monster still atop the ruin and held Isis high above the ground as it wrapped more of itself around her.

"What the Hell—" Seto cut off as another tentacle shot out, splitting the three of them apart and caught his leg as he stumbled back in the mud. "Shit!"

He was swung up into the air as more wrapped around him making him drop his sword, but was more disgusted to find it felt like human hair rendering him immobile. He was brought close to where Isis was suspended and devised a plan.

"Hey!" He shouted over the pouring rain down to Malik and Rishid who looked up. "When I get your sister free, catch her!"

With that, he turned back to Isis, found he was near enough to the hair binding her and clapped his hands together before grabbing onto it. A flash of blue lightning and the place Seto had touched froze and broke off.

Malik and Rishid quickly responded to their sister's scream as she dropped and they both collapsed under her weight as she landed on them.

"Isis, are you alright?"

The woman gasped for air before answering. "That…that thing…!" She looked back up as Seto continued to fight his own restraints. "THAT THING IS _HUMAN_!"

- - -

- - -

Endo del Chapter Fifteen!

Don't worry, I'll work on Sixteen and hopefully have it up soon.

Me out.


	17. In Between

**Chapter Sixteen**, as promised.

Guess what? June 6, 2006, today, is my birthday! I am now 19 years old! How cool is that?

Oh yeah! Oh yeah! It's my birthday! Uh-huh!

But again, you're not here for me. _On with the story!_

Oh.

I don't own **Yu-Gi-OH!**

- - -

- - -

**Chapter Sixteen: In Between…**

The rain came down hard, despite the cover of trees that surrounded the group as they tried to find their way through the forest. Shizuka cast her brown eyes to the cloudy sky above and allowed the rain to hit her in the face, despite the intense weight of the water.

The harshness of the rain reminded her of the days that had followed Rafael's attack on the castle weeks ago. The sky had burst, as though it was mourning for the loss of the region's prince.

'_Yuugi, wherever you are…please be safe.'_

"_Oi_! Shizuka!"

Torn from her reverie at the sound of her brother's voice, she turned to look back at him. "Eh?"

"Don't zone out like that!" The blond called to be heard over the rain. "We have to get outta this storm! Hey, Pegasus! Which way now?"

They had hoped to be out and at the city of Dora by now, but due to Katsuya's forest navigation skills—or in this case, lack thereof—they had been turned around and became lost. Hence, Pegasus was now in the lead, followed by Shizuka and Ryou, tailed by Katsuya and Atem.

Shizuka saw the silver-haired sorcerer tilt his head, as though listening to something and nodded before he looked back at the group. "This way!" He directed them to the right and they all struggled with leading their horses through the rain and thickening mud.

Soon, they came to a cave where they tore off their cloaks, heavy with water, and draped them over the saddles of their horses.

Pegasus wrung his hair out before holding the reins of his own mount to his pupil. "Take care of him for me, would you?" The youth nodded eagerly. "I'll get a fire going."

Shizuka tied her horse's reins around a large rock and started to wring out her own fiery locks, but stopped when she saw Atem standing at the mouth of the cave, staring at the ground as rain water dripped from his gold bangs. She walked over to him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder and making him look up into her smile.

"I'll take care of your horse, if you want."

The Pharaoh stared at her face a moment tiredly, as if trying to comprehend what she said, before surrendering his reins to her and walking further in to the cave to sit by the fire pit Pegasus had dug. He watched as the man made a small flame in his hands and blew it into the pile of wood and grass he had stored in his saddlebag, and stared at the growing fire.

Shizuka watched the youth sadly. She never would have thought she would ever see Atem so despondent, so tired.

"Leave him alone."

The redhead turned to her brother as he came up beside her.

"He has to learn to accept that things are different here," Katsuya said. "He's been too close-minded to last much longer out here."

"You can't blame him for that," she said with a small glare. "He was brought up that way. It's his way of life; you can't expect him to just accept it like its nothing."

Katsuya would have argued, had Ryou not come up between them. "Please don't argue. Can we please rest?"

Shizuka nodded and turned to allow the white-haired youth to pass, sending a small glare at her brother before heading to sit by Atem.

Of course, she had been angry with how the Pharaoh had tried to force his way of life on her about women, but she didn't want to hurt him by disregarding his heart. _'Maybe…I'm being a hypocrite…'_

"So!" Pegasus made them all jump when he spoke with a cheerful clap of his hands. "The _real_ Yuugi that our little Pharaoh is replacing for the time being, what can you tell me about him?"

Katsuya set his bag down angrily before he leaned back against the wall of the cave. "You already know about him, don't you?" He said accusingly.

"I found out about your _situation_, not the boy himself," the man corrected. "Tell me about Yuugi, about yourselves."

Katsuya scoffed and looked away.

Shizuka sighed. "I am willing to talk to you, Pegasus-_san_, but I have to admit that it seems unfair to talk of ourselves when you already know quite a bit, and we know nothing of you."

Pegasus brought his hand to his chin thoughtfully. "That is a very good point, Shizuka…" He smiled. "Alright. Ask me anything and I will do my best to answer."

"Tell us about your wife," she said. "You said that she was in a similar situation…?"

Pegasus nodded, his face going solemn as he fought to keep his smile in place. "My wife, Cyndia…was attacked and has fallen into a coma. Ryou and I left the kingdom to perhaps find a cure, if one existed."

"Cyndia…" Shizuka repeated softly.

"That's the same name as the Red Dragon Kingdom's Queen, isn't it?" Katsuya asked, opening one eye.

The silver-haired sorcerer smiled proudly. "That is exactly who she is."

Shizuka and Katsuya stared wide-eyed. "_Hontou_…?"

"Truly," Pegasus nodded. "Isn't that right, Ryou?" The man's pupil smiled lightly and nodded.

'_Three royal families attacked by the same force…_' Shizuka looked at Atem, but he didn't seem to be paying any attention to the conversation.

She felt bad; knowing the full impact of his lack of power in the world at large had finally hit him, she was worried that perhaps she had not been sympathetic toward him and respected his feelings.

Shizuka opened her mouth to speak to the Pharaoh, when a sudden tremor cut through her and she felt her eyes burn. She quickly covered the upper portion of her face with a hiss of pain.

"Shizuka?" She felt Katsuya place his hand on her back. "You okay?"

"Something…"

"Something's coming," Pegasus said.

At his words, the redhead managed to open her eyes and looked up to find the man standing and casting his gaze all around the cave, as if expecting something to lunge out of the shadows. She too looked around, this time to the mouth of the cave at their five horses which were steadily becoming restless.

Suddenly, Katsuya's mount screamed as something wrapped around its middle and pulled it back out into the storm.

"The Hell?" Katsuya grabbed his sword and dashed after his horse, followed by Shizuka and the others.

Emerging from the shelter of the cave, and exposed to the painful storm, the group found themselves faced with a shapeless, black creature with long tentacle-like appendages which was soaking with rain water as well as the blood of Katsuya's now dead horse.

"What the Hell is that thing!" The blond Slayer exclaimed as he and the others drew their weapons.

At their voices, something in the creature moved, and the black peeled aside to reveal a large red eye that focused on the group.

- - - -

Seto tore at the hair binding his shoulder, but it only trapped his other hand and then refused to give at all. He was soon stuck with his right hand by his left shoulder and his left hand around his waist, making it so he could not connect his hands in order to use his Alchemy.

"Dammit!" In the stead of Alchemy, the prince drew the short sword resting on his right side and attempted to cut his way out. "Goddamn monster!"

- - -

Down below him, Malik and Rishid attempted to quiet Isis' frantic rambling, until finally, her younger brother took her by the shoulders and shook her.

"ISIS!" Malik exclaimed, finally silencing her. "Tell us what happened. What did you _see_?"

The woman's eyes cleared somewhat and she fought to control her breathing before speaking. "I saw…fire…and-and blood…!" She said and tears began to spill down her face and mingle with the rain. "People lying in blood…! Men…women…the old…_children_…!"

She began gasping frantically for air. "White-haired…children…all dead!" Isis gripped her hair. "Slaughtered before my very eyes! Not a bit of mercy toward them or anyone!" Her eyes became clouded again. "Animals! All of them! They killed my family! ANIMALS!"

A resounded slap across her face silenced her cries. Malik and Rishid stared at Mokuba who still held his hand out from his strike on Isis' face.

"Pull yourself together!" The black-haired boy exclaimed. He hadn't understood what she was saying, but he could clearly see how panicked she was becoming and knew that he needed to stop her before she made a whole different situation that took them away from their current problem.

Isis put her hand to her reddening cheek as she finally met the boy's eyes.

"Look, I have a plan to save my brother but I need your guys' help!"

- - -

Seto stabbed into the hair binding his wrists, but found the creature's tentacles had grown stronger since its first assault and would not cut.

He was suddenly thrust upward and held upside down above the monster. He looked down as the black again peeled away to reveal the large red eye, this time focused solely on him.

Gazing back into the blood red depths of the eye and his head began to pound painfully. It felt as if someone were hitting him continuously and each blow was getting more agonizing, and he closed his eyes.

'_My skull is going to split…!'_

He opened his eyes again, his gaze falling into the red one. Suddenly, amidst the red…

- - -

_He saw blue._

_He saw his mother's blue dress…then looked up to see her, sitting beside him at the long dining table…smiling…_

'Mother…?'

_She stopped his small, nine year-old hand as he reached for his glass, her smile slipping a moment to reveal an unfamiliar expression: panic. Her smile quickly returned as she took his glass and gave him her own._

'No…! Mother, don't!'

_She rose from her seat, raising her replaced glass as she looked toward her husband, and again, her smile slipped to reveal another strange expression directed at the man at the head of the table. Spite. _

_The King's blue eyes widened with shock, then narrowed with anger, but he said nothing._

'Mother, stop!'

_His mother looked back at him and smiled, brightly with a bare hint of sadness as she brought the glass and its red substance to her lips._

'STOP IT!'

- -

The pain retreated as the familiar thundering of horses brought him back from the abyss and Seto looked down toward the ground to see Alumiss and the other mounts rushing out into the rain.

The creature also caught sight of this and several tentacles formed, shot out and grabbed one of three unfamiliar horses. The mount screamed as the creature's hold around its middle began to constrict and crush it. Unable to watch, Seto looked away.

In doing so, he caught sight of his brother and Malik clambering out of the structure hole of the roof, both trying to keep their own torch burning despite the harsh rain coming down on them.

Malik hurled his torch at the creature, catching it in its open eye. Screaming in pain, it writhed as it flailed around to get the torch out and its hold on Seto loosened, actually dropping him on the roof. Trying to get his brain clear, having rattled it from the fall, he realized his brother was shouting at him.

"What?"

"Transmute the water!" Mokuba called. "Transmute the water it's absorbing into _alcohol_!"

Seto quickly tore free of the hair loosely wrapped around his arms, legs and throat before facing the creature and clapping his hands together fiercely. The memory the monster had forced him to recall still fresh in his thoughts, the prince slammed his hands against the beast and it was wrapped in blue lightning for a bare moment.

"Get back!" Mokuba called and waited until his brother moved before throwing his own torch at the monster.

It immediately burst into flames, and Malik jumped past the black-haired boy to the creature, sliding to a halt before it as he brushed his hands together, calling out in his mother tongue before thrusting his hands out. Gold light outshone the roaring fire and wrapped around the deformed burning beast.

"Isis!" Malik called his sister's name to the ground below where she knelt in the mud.

The woman rose up and held her hand out to the sky in an offering gesture and the clouds immediately parted in a perfect circle in the sky, letting in a bright light that seemed to rival a summer sun. The rain ceased to fall and in its stead came small specks of gold light came drifting down like snow.

Mokuba caught one of the lights in his hands, and was surprised when he opened them to find it still glowing in his grasp.

Seto stared and watched in a combination of confusion and amazement as the light wrapped around the creature, turning the hair white and making fall from the lump until…

He gasped as a small girl was revealed amidst all the hair, her face buried in her hands as she cried. Her skin was as dark as Malik's, but her hair was the purest white Seto had ever seen.

"Don't cry…" Malik said in his native tongue, causing the girl to look up. "Everything's alright now. You can go."

The girl looked around with tear-filled, ruby red eyes as the specks of light grew more numerous as they fell around her. She watched the light, and a small smile pulled at her face; turning to Malik, she gave a small laugh.

She rose up to her sandaled feet and began to fade into a gold light, but looked to Seto with apologetic grief before she faded away. The fallen specks of light all gathered themselves up and reversed, drifting back up to the sky they had fallen from; Mokuba blinked as the light in his hands also flew away to join the others.

Once all the lights faded into the light above, the clouds returned and with it the hard rain.

Seto and Mokuba looked from the storm-raged sky to each other, neither holding an answer to what just took place.

Malik heaved a sigh as he sat down, allowing the rain to soak him completely. But he had a gentle smile upon his face as he looked up toward the sky.

'_Good luck, little one…'_

- - - -

Katsuya flew back into a tree, falling to the ground coughing from having had the wind knocked out of him from impact with the tree as well as having had their shapeless opponent knock him away. Having been in a rage over his dead horse, the blond had made the mistake of charging the beast head on.

"_Onii_-_chan_!" Shizuka dashed to her brother's side.

The creature then set its single red eye on Atem. The spiky-haired youth, winced as a slight pain began to build in his head.

_ My baby! _ A voice called out in agony. _ Give my baby back to me! _

Distracted by pain and the strange voice, Atem didn't take heed of the tentacle that shot out from the monster, directly toward him.

"Look out!" Ryou ran and collided with the Pharaoh, sending both of them to the ground and avoiding the hit from the creature.

Finding that her brother wasn't badly hurt, she ran back to the creature as she drew her sword and leapt into the air. Coming back down, she landed on it and stabbed the blade into the large red eye.

It immediately screamed and flailed about, throwing the young woman off and right into Pegasus, and together they flew backwards until they slid to a stop in the thick mud.

The two gathered themselves up from the heap of limbs of and mud they had fallen into, and Shizuka gave a light curse when she saw that the creature still had her sword. It continued to thrash around frantically, and some of its tentacles wrapped around the blade; some strands were slit in the act of trying to pull it out, but it eventually withdrew the blade from its now ruined eye.

"Tenacious, isn't it?" Pegasus coughed.

"You're a sorcerer, aren't you?" Shizuka shouted, sitting up and turning to face the man she had landed on. "Can't you do something?"

"I have no idea how it would react to my magic!" The man said. "I could risk making it more powerful if I'm not careful!"

_**-Fire-**_

Both blinked at the unexpected echo in their thoughts. _'What?'_

_**-Fire-**_

The single word rang through their minds, too strong to ignore and they picked themselves up.

"Ryou!" Pegasus called, and his pupil sat up with a start. "Summon the most powerful fire spell you can!"

"Yes, sir!"

Shizuka ran to her brother's fallen horse and began rifling through the saddlebags in search of her brother's flares. Finding the foot-long rods, she broke them open, instantly summoning red flames, and hurled it at the monster.

The combination of the flares Shizuka tossed and the fire spells of the two sorcerers, the creature began to burn. Writhing and screaming, the shapeless monster fled into the woods, tearing down the trees in its path to get away.

Panting and shaken from the fight, the group found they could only stare after it in confusion.

Katsuya finally managed to rise to his feet, with some effort to stay there due to the pain in his back. "We should…get outta here, guys…" He groaned. "Don't know if that thing'll come back…"

"Good thinking," Pegasus said, rushing over to help the youth. "You all get our things together," he told Ryou, Shizuka and Atem. "I'll tend to Jounouchi until we head out."

Nodding, the three dashed back to the cave to gather their things back up. As Shizuka removed her brother's saddle and bags from his dead horse, she noticed Atem standing at the mouth of the gap the creature had made in the forest in its escape, just staring into the trees.

"Atem…?"

The Pharaoh looked back at the redhead with a start, as if he had forgotten he was not alone.

"Are you alright?" She asked, rising up and joining him at the edge of the trees. "Are you hurt at all?"

Atem shook his head before he looked back to the hole. "Something about that creature…it was so sad. Like it was in constant mourning…"

Shizuka placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you going to be alright?"

He sighed. "I believe so…" He turned to retrieve his own horse before he suddenly stopped and turned back to the girl. "I am…sorry, Shizuka."

Before she could ask why, Katsuya jumped up with more energy than he had had in days and rushed to take his things from his sister. Quickly following that, they all mounted their horses—Shizuka shared hers with Katsuya now—and rode out to find a new, safer place to rest.

- - - -

The rain let up early the next morning, allowing the sun to break through the clouds.

Seto and his brother still shared shelter with the Ishtars, though few of them had slept and only for a few minutes due to their re-gathering of their scattered supplies and horses.

Mokuba looked from the sleeping Isis—hidden in her bedroll—before looking back to Malik as he roasted a couple of rabbits they had brought back from a hunt for breakfast. "_Ne_, Malik, will your sister be okay?"

The sandy-haired youth nodded. "Isis needs rest now," he said. "After…she be…alright."

Mokuba sighed. "That's good."

Seto came into the circle and set his little brother's bag down. "Your clothes will need some washing," he said and smiled a little at his brother's mud-caked face, "as will _you_ as a whole, but I think you'll survive until we get to town."

The black-haired boy rubbed at some drying mud on his face with the back of his arm. "If there was a river or something nearby, I could clean up easy."

"I would prefer that you wait until we're in an establishment with hot water," Seto said, receiving a nod from his brother. "Good." He turned to take care of his own bag.

Mokuba turned back to Malik. "_Ne_, Malik?"

"Hm?"

"What was that thing you and your sister did last night to that monster?" The boy asked, and he noticed his older brother's halt in his activity, but pressed on. "What was all that light and stuff?"

"Mokuba…" Seto hissed warningly.

"Is alright," Malik smiled. "But is…hard to say in…your language…" He scratched sandy-blond hair as he thought. "Ohh…was spell," he said. "Special spell…sends sad spirit…away to…afterlife…"

"To the afterlife?" Mokuba repeated, receiving a nod from the desert youth. "So, you're saying that monster was actually a ghost?"

"Not ghost…lost soul…" Malik went on. "Lost soul become monster…I heal lost soul…Isis send on its way."

"That's a load of bullshit."

The two boys turned to Seto, who sat glaring at Malik. "All of it," he went on. "It's all bullshit."

"Don't know…bullshit…" Malik said quirking an eyebrow.

"You're lying," Seto said. "You can't 'send souls on their way'; there's no way. _If_ souls actually exist, they're totally intangible."

Malik shook his head. "Isis and I can," he said. "Isis was Priestess, she know how to do. I just Shamanist…though not supposed to…"

"What's a Shamanist?" Mokuba asked.

"That's enough, Mokuba!" Seto snapped, making his brother jerk slightly.

"H-_Hai_," the boy cast his eyes down to the fire.

Malik looked from Seto's back to Mokuba's somewhat crestfallen expression; needless to say he was somewhat confused. The sound of slow hooves announced Rishid's return and Malik jumped up to meet him as be came around the pile of rock.

Seto moved to sit next to his brother. "Mokuba, I don't want you talking to him about that anymore," he said quietly. "No more questions about the monster, the light or the girl—"

"What girl?" Mokuba blinked.

The older of the two started to answer, but shook his head. "Just don't talk about it anymore."

"Okay…" The boy sighed.

Seto sat back, folding his arms across his chest. "I would, however, like to inquire as to why you came outside when I specifically told you to stay put?" He saw his brother slump further. "It seems you've been disobeying me more and more lately…"

"_Gomen'nesai_, _Nii-sama_…"

Mokuba finally looked up when he felt his brother's hand settle on his head and he met his matching blue eyes. "Despite how you ignored what I told you, I am proud of your quick thinking. It saved me."

The black-haired boy's face brightened with a smile and a slight blush at his older brother's praise and he scratched his ebony head sheepishly.

"Kaiba."

Seto turned to Malik who motioned him over and he joined him and Rishid.

"Rishid…able to get all horse but yours," Malik said, pausing to listen to the man as he spoke. "He _see_ horse, but run off…and Rishid unable to catch."

Seto nodded. "I was actually expecting that," he replied. "Alumiss can be pretty elusive to people he doesn't recognize. I'll go find him."

Malik watched as the brown-haired, blue-eyed youth headed outside before telling Rishid to look after Isis and Mokuba and dashing after Seto.

"I can go alone," the taller youth said, glancing sideways at the desert youth.

"I needs talk with you," Malik said. "I know you lie…about light and…chimes."

Seto's look turned to a sideways glare and he quickened his pace without answering.

Nonetheless, Malik followed after him, undaunted. "Why you lie? Is…dumb…to lie for something…will find out soon."

Again the prince did not reply.

"You feel lost soul come," he went on. "I feel also. Deep in heart. You too?"

"I heard it moving above us in the rain," Seto replied at last.

Suddenly, in a burst of speed, Malik was in front of the taller youth, meeting his sapphire-rival gaze with his own firm amethyst. "You lie again."

The two stood staring at each other, Seto with somewhat of a glare while Malik's was open and somewhat interested.

Finally, for the first time in many years, Seto looked away, pushed Malik aside and continued on his way. He was a little angry with himself for actually conceding to someone else's gaze, and thus didn't look back as he pressed on to look for his horse.

The desert youth watched after Seto's retreating back, with next to no idea of the secret prince's feelings—much less the fact he had pulled off a feat that even the late King Gozaburo had been unable to _ever_ do.

And with his lack of knowledge, he sighed and scratched his sandy-blond head before heading off in a separate direction as Seto to look for the elusive battle horse.

- - - -

The morning sun began to change the sky to a gentle lavender before it had even peeked over the horizon, and the sound of a waterfall a few yards away mixed with the songs of waking birds.

It had been decided that watches would go on in pairs until everyone was rested from the previous night's battle—and the ensuing retreat—and all were ready to continue through the woods.

For the fire-maned young woman and the silver-haired sorcerer keeping watch, it was a long awaited moment of conversation.

"So…you did feel it."

Shizuka nodded. "I felt it deep down in my core, and right after that, my eyes started burning."

Pegasus cupped his chin thoughtfully. "Could it be you have a special power to—"

"People of the Black Dragon region don't have magic," Shizuka said. "It's common knowledge."

The man nodded. "True, but perhaps your parents were not of Black Dragon origin…?" He noticed the girl's apprehensive expression and decided push the subject aside. "In any case, our visitor last night bothers me. I like to pride myself in my knowledge of Deep dwelling creatures, and I have never seen anything like that in all my days."

"Me neither," the girl nodded. "But I am sure that I felt it coming somehow…"

"I believe I did as well."

Shizuka looked up in his visible rosewood-colored eye and they stared at one another in silence for a time.

"Shizuka…when we first saw each other, in that town before Cleef, did you sense anything? Anything at all?"

The young woman thought back. "It was strange…" She said. "There was light…just a little bit of light, and this sound… It was like a bell of some sort. I can't really describe it…"

"A very clear sound," Pegasus said. "Like a crystal bell. And it didn't suddenly start ringing… It was as if it was always being struck, but I didn't notice it until then."

Shizuka nodded. "Exactly."

The man leaned his chin in the palm of his hand thoughtfully. "It's strange, but I remember something like it has happened before."

The girl straightened. "Really?"

"It was a long time ago," Pegasus nodded. "I was still in my teens and traveling with my father. We were visiting the White Dragon Kingdom, the royal castle in fact. Our foreign silks were very popular, especially with the Kings wives."

"_Wives_?" Shizuka's eyes widened. "Plural?"

"Plural," the sorcerer nodded with a sigh. "Actually, one of them was a Mistress, but everyone referred to her as a Wife because she and the King's lawful wife got along rather well.

"In any case, at that time, I was permitted to stay in the garden while my father did business," he went on. "And that was when I saw them. Three boys playing amongst the roses, all covered in grass stains…all with the bluest eyes I've ever seen…"

He paused, thinking back to that day. "One of them turned to me, and when his eyes met mine…I remember that sound and that light… But it faded when his brothers pulled him away to continue with their games, and I went back home with my father."

Shizuka remembered the desert native at the inn. "I met someone else I felt it with too!" She said. "I crossed paths with a boy back at the inn in Cleef."

Pegasus contemplated a moment. "Was this…just before you and the others left the inn?"

She nodded.

"Strange…" He murmured. "Very strange, but at the same time rather interesting, because I heard the sound at that same time."

Again, they fell into a pensive silence, both wondering what it all meant.

However, they had little time to contemplate together when Katsuya sat up groggily. "Hungry…"

"There's some leftovers you can eat, _Onii-chan_," Shizuka smiled. "And since you're up, you can take my place for watch and I can go get cleaned up."

"I think you look rather cute covered in mud," Pegasus smiled.

"Thank you, but I prefer being clean," Shizuka said as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

"Constant hygiene," Katsuya mumbled sleepily as he took Shizuka's previous seat by the fire. "Couldn't you wait until we all got to town to clean up? What if someone sees you?"

"Who would?" Shizuka asked.

The blond's brown eyes narrowed on Pegasus.

"I am a married man, thank you," the sorcerer declared, again holding up his left hand to show off his ring. "And before you accuse Ryou of such perversion, he is the perfect gentleman; he would have a heart attack if you even mentioned it."

"There, you see?" The fiery-haired young woman smiled. "Don't worry, Onii-chan. Even if someone happened to be around here, I can take care of myself." And with that, Shizuka headed off for the waterfall that rested nearby.

- - - -

Seto looked back toward the way he had come, content to no longer be able to see the ruins or Malik, as he knew the desert youth was no longer following him. He didn't want anyone else learning how to catch Alumiss that shouldn't.

He reached into his belt pouch, withdrew a whistle and blew into it. A sound similar to a Kingfisher's song rang out, but as he waited nothing stirred and he continued on to another spot to call for his horse.

- - - -

Shizuka wrapped her black cloak around her now clean—if naked—form like a towel and took down her hair, letting it spill down her shoulder as she bent forward to clean the remaining mud from her fiery locks. Looking down at her reflection in the water, she let her mind wander back to Pegasus words.

"…_perhaps your parents were not of Black Dragon origin…"_

She straightened and held a handful of her hair, simply staring at its unique color. It was true that she and her brother were adopted by the late King Mutou, but she was sure that they were of Black Dragon origin. She could never remember being anywhere but in places of the Black Dragon region, so she was sure her mother was from there…

...but she couldn't be sure. About her mother, or her father.

Most definitely not her father. She had no memories at all of him throughout her short childhood. The only logical explanation she could come up with was that she and Katsuya's father had left them. But something about that always left her curious: Why then would Katsuya keep their father's name?

Sighing, she was once again left with no answers about her father and again chose to leave his non-existent memory in the dark.

Dipping her head into the water, Shizuka caught the sound of something moving behind her and whirled around.

But she found herself relaxing upon the sight of a beautiful black horse trotting toward the water's edge. Turning all the way around to face the animal, it stopped and watched her warily.

From her place about five feet from the horse she couldn't make out much about him, but she most definitely knew a beauty when she saw it. It was pitch black and fetlocks fell around the animals large hooves; she had always loved the pictures she found of these types of horses, but found actually seeing one was a true blessing.

She also took note of the reins and saddle, and cautiously made her way through the pool toward the horse, tightening her cloak around herself.

"Hello there." The horse started to draw back at her advance. "It's alright," she said gently and held out her hand. "Don't be afraid."

Surprisingly, the horse stopped backing away. Shizuka still kept her pace slow, keeping half an eye on where she stepped for fear of tripping on a rock or something. But the horse stayed put, even when she came to the edge of the water and placed her hand on his nose.

"You are a beautiful boy, aren't you?" She cooed, and the mount butted her with his head. "Now don't be fresh with me."

Taking hold of his reins, Shizuka stroked her hand down his neck and pat him gently. Now closer, the girl was sure that this lovely beast belonged to a noble of some sort from the look of his saddle; it was black and had metal engravings of white dragons all along it.

"Too bad, I was hoping I could keep you," she told the horse. "But I'm sure your owner must be missing you terribly."

Suddenly, a sound that made her think of a Kingfisher sang out and the horse looked back into the forest. When it called out again, it moved away from Shizuka and she released the reins with a small smile.

'_Maybe it's the owner's call…'_

The horse stopped midway to disappearing into the trees and a figure in blue appeared by its front.

And Shizuka's eyes widened as a faint ringing sound reached her ears…

- - - -

Seto blew the whistle and caught sound of a single hoof step back. Whistling again, he heard his mount approaching. Catching sight of Alumiss, he stepped out of the forest and took hold of his reins.

"Don't even think of smiling," he told the black war horse. "You caused me a lot of trouble, you know."

Moving around to mount the saddle, Seto caught sight of a figure with red hair and turned all the way to see a young girl standing in a small pool of water a few feet away.

- - - -

Blue that rivaled the sapphire sky and brown like fresh earth met and the bell rang out as light erupted around their vision.

- - - -

Pegasus jerked and shot to his feet, looking around.

"Mhat's mong?" Katsuya asked through a mouthful of food.

The sorcerer didn't reply as he looked toward the way Shizuka had gone, and recalling what she had told him about the boy at the inn back in Cleef, he dashed toward the waterfall.

"Hey!" Shizuka's blond brother leapt up, grabbing his sword and chased after Pegasus. "You better not be peepin' on my sister, you—"

- - - -

Malik spun around as he caught the sound of the strange bell on the air caught his ear and his amethyst gaze shot around him. Finding the direction it was the strongest, he dashed toward it.

- - - -

"—asshole of a fruit basket!"

Shizuka and Seto were snapped from their trance at the loud interruption and looked toward its source as Pegasus and Katsuya broke through the trees.

The silver-haired sorcerer caught sight of the boy and his mount and his eye widened when his blue eyes caught his rosewood. _'That boy—'_

"YOU!" Katsuya interrupted Pegasus' thoughts as he drew his sword and pointed the blade at the brown-haired, blue-eyed youth. "YOU ARE **_DEAD_**!"

Seto blinked then looked back at Shizuka as she looked back at him. He finally took note of the fact the fiery-haired girl was wearing nothing but black cloak, wrapped around her like a towel, and realized his precarious position.

"Oh Hell!"

"_Hell_ is right, you bastard!" Katsuya splashed in the water as he ran for the stranger. "And that's exactly where I'll _send_ you!"

"_Onii-chan_, wait—"

The blond ignored his sister as Seto leapt onto his horse's saddle and kicked it into a run. "_Matte_!"

"_Onii-chan_!"

But her blond brother was gone, disappeared into the trees in his pursuit of the horse and its rider.

She slowly looked back to Pegasus. "Did you…did you hear it, too?"

The man nodded.

- - - -

Seto had to admit that he was impressed with his pursuer, not many could keep up with Alumiss on horseback; on foot was purely incredible.

"Get back here, you bastard!"

Seto shielded his face from the branches of trees, and his blue eyes widened when he saw Malik perched on the branch of an upcoming pine tree.

When he passed under it he turned in his saddle to look back. When the blond sword swinger came under it, the sandy-blond swung down and delivered an effective kick to his face. As he flew back, he skidded along the muddy ground and gradually came to a halt; after a moment of waiting—by Seto on horseback and Malik still hanging from the tree branch—it became apparent the sword bearer was unconscious and the desert youth touched down on the ground.

"You get troubled?" He asked as he clapped his hands to rid himself of flakes of pine stuck to his skin.

"Something like that…" Seto replied with a sigh as he turned Alumiss toward the desert youth.

"Try to…rob horse?" Malik pointed to the black war mount.

At that the blue-eyed prince shook his head. "No. No it was…" his cheeks pinked slightly, "a misunderstanding."

"Don't know…miss…under…standing…"

Seto smiled, shaking his head, and offered his hand to the youth. Malik at first stared at it with a blink, before comprehension dawned on him and his face brightened with a smile as he accepted the offered hand. Pulled up onto the saddle behind Seto, the two of them rode back toward the ruins at top speed.

Malik smiled at the feeling of the wind in his face, but found his thoughts more occupied by the strange sound he had heard twice before. He was sure that Seto had played some part in its ringing out again, but chose to leave the subject be. _'He might get upset again if I bring it up,'_ he thought.

They soon arrived back at their camp, they found Isis was awake and Mokuba was helping her to fold up her bedroll while Rishid returned their bags to their horses' saddles.

"You found Alumiss!" Mokuba dashed to greet his brother and rubbed the horse's face. He stopped when he saw Malik hop down from his place behind Seto and stared after him as he went to help his brother and sister pick up camp. _'_Nii-sama_ let him ride…?'_

Looking to his brother as he dismounted, the black-haired boy took note of his somewhat flushed state. "_Nii-sama_, _daijoubu_?"

"Eh? Ah, _hai_…" Seto ran his fingers back through his hair. "Why?"

"You look really flushed," Mokuba replied. "Your face is really pink."

"I was…I had to chase after Alumiss," the older prince replied, covering his face in an attempt to hide his blushing.

Mokuba quirked an eyebrow. "That doesn't make any sense…" He then smirked devilishly as he followed his brother back to their own bags. "I bet you got some girl out in the woods pregnant or something!"

Seto nearly collapsed and leaned against the wall for support as his face burned with a hotter shade of red at the memory of the girl at the pool. _'I must be losing my mind!' _He hefted his bag onto his shoulder and hurried to put it up on Alumiss' back.

However, his little brother caught sight of Seto's blush and his eyes widened. _'Did he actually get some girl pregnant in the woods!'_

Shaking the thought out of his thoughts, he loaded his own things onto Valent's back; Mokuba led his horse out to the others before he mounted. In doing so, he saw that Isis was now riding behind Malik, since her horse had been killed the previous night by the monster.

"So where are you headed, anyway?"

Malik looked from the boy to his sister, clearly not having caught everything he had said, and Isis answered, "We are going to the West."

Mokuba smiled. "How about that? So are we!"

"Really?" The woman blinked and looked to Seto as he mounted Alumiss. "We do not know our way, would you permit us to follow you until the next…town?"

Seto looked from the woman to her sandy-haired brother who simply stared, waiting for his answer.

"_Nii-sama_…!"

His attention was then drawn to his little brother's beaming face.

"_Onegai_…?"

With a small sigh of resignation, Seto turned his eyes to the road ahead. "Until the next town," he said. "Then you're on your own."

"It is appreciated," Isis bowed. She then relayed the conversation to Malik and Rishid and they both nodded; her younger brother, however, looked back at Seto with smile.

Shaking his head lightly, Seto cracked Alumiss' reins and together they all headed out.

- - - -

"_Itai_!"

"Oh, don't be such a baby!" Shizuka scolded her brother as Ryou cast the healing spell upon his injured face. "Maybe if you hadn't let your anger get the better of you, you wouldn't have run into that tree."

"I did not run into a tree!" Katsuya said angrily. "Some guy swung down from a tree and kicked me in the face!"

Ryou finally completed the spell and handed the blond Slayer his handkerchief to clean away the blood of his mended nose. "Well, whatever you were chasing that man for, I'm sure you didn't have to resolve it by drawing your sword."

"The guy was a frickin' pervert! Spyin' on my sister like she was—" He was cut off as Shizuka hit him in the back of the head with her bag.

"I keep telling you, it wasn't like that!" The fiery-haired young woman said. "He just stumbled across me when he found his horse. Perhaps if you would stop and listen to what people say to you, you wouldn't have chased after him with your sword and ran into that tree!"

"A _guy_ swung _down_ from a tree and _kicked_ me in the _face_!" Katsuya asserted. "I did _not_ run into a _tree_!"

Shizuka shook her head with a sigh as she went to put her bag on her horse and slowed as she looked in the direction the boy she had met had run off in. Whoever he had been, he was connected to whatever it was that she and Pegasus and maybe that desert native were also a part of.

'_But what is it?'_ She wondered. '_What is it we're all connected to?'_

Sighing again, she put her bag up on her horse and went to wake Atem. They would leave soon.

- - -

- - -

So, whaddya think? Please review.

Oh. On another note, I have to explain what the Deeps are.

I've mentioned it more than a couple times, and I'm sure some people out there think I'm making a typo, but I'm not. I keep telling myself to explain it in the story, but I can't find a point where I could possibly put it, so I'll explain it here in Author Space.

Deep forests, Deep Mountains and such are places where monsters come from. Monsters wander from the Deep into human areas and cause general problems; like raccoons, except the monsters tend to eat people rather than their garbage.

No one wanders into the Deep if they can help it, because the strongest types of Deep Dwelling monsters never leave the Deeps.

This will become a point of debate between several characters in the future, but I felt that I needed to explain that before I got into it.

Bye-bye!


	18. Conjunction Point

- - -

- - -

**Chapter Seventeen: Conjunction Point…**

Valon didn't like his room.

It wasn't that it wasn't a nice room; was incredibly lavish, more than he had ever hoped to have in his nineteen years. It was that it lacked warmth.

The truth was the entire place lacked warmth, to the point that any bared skin felt burned from the cold. The cold only abated when he was in the presence of the other swordsmen, and thus he constantly left his own quarters to take refuge in Rafael's or Amelda's.

Valon stood outside the curtain in doorway, waiting a moment before pulling the cloth aside to look within. He caught the smell of incense and saw various lit candles placed throughout the room. "Raf?"

The blond man sat on the floor, with his back to the doorway. "You can come in, Valon."

Not hesitating to accept the offer, Valon plopped himself on the mat beside his comrade, his own blue pillow tucked under one arm. "What'cha doin'?"

"Master Akunadin sent out some Others to deal with some sort of problem," Rafael replied without taking his eyes from the object before him on the mantle. "He wanted me to look into it."

"Hmm…" Valon fought to suppress a shiver.

The Others were bizarre, horrifying monsters that Akunadin made deep in the bowels of the citadel or whatever dark place he chose to work. Valon had only had the nightmarish experience of seeing only one type of Other once before, and he had no desire to see any more if he could help it.

To relieve himself of the grotesque images that fought to break the surface of his mind, the spiky-haired youth turned his blue eyes to the object on the mantle. It looked like a mirror, but the glass was pitch black and reflected nothing; he had seen it before, but had never bothered to ask about it.

"It's called Icarus' Mirror," Rafael said, making his guest jump. "I use it to amplify powers of sight and hearing."

"Like…mind-reading?" Valon asked.

"Yes."

"Oh. Well…don't do it to me!" He said. "It's creepy."

The barest hint of a smile tugged at the blond's mouth. "My apologies."

The chestnut-brown-haired youth turned his attention back to the mirror. "How come it's all black like that?"

"It's been passed down through my tribe for generations, but I was told it's never reflected anything since it was made three thousand years ago," Valon's host said. "I'm not sure as to why they call it a mirror… But…"

"But?" Valon prompted.

"I keep seeing small flashes of light every once in a while," Rafael replied. "Just small star-like glimmers…" He put his hand to the pitch black glass. "That's never happened before."

- - - -

"Finally!" Mokuba collapsed onto his rented bed with a content sigh. "I never want to go through that ever again."

Two more days of wandering through the woods had followed their victory over that monster, and they had at long last arrived in Dora. Naturally, the first thing they sought was to find a place to stay at the nearest inn.

Seto looked into the bedroom mirror and scratched at some dried mud clinging to his face. "Well, feel free to sleep once you've taken a bath," he told his brother. "You and I both need it."

"You can go first…" Mokuba mumbled as he rolled over so that his back was to the door, obviously with the intent to sleep.

"Don't make me dump you in a tub of ice, Mokuba," Seto said firmly. "Who knows what decided to crawl into your hair and die while we were in those woods."

"You're making fun of my hair again…" The boy glared sleepily before rising up. "Fine, I'm coming."

"Good."

Gathering fresh clothes, they both headed down the hall towards the bath together.

"_Ne_, _Nii-sama_?"

"Hm?"

"Did you really get some girl in the woods pregnant?"

Seto nearly fell over from the shock and pure absurdity of the inquiry, and doing his best to fight the rising heat to his face, he looked back at his brother. "_What_!"

"You acted funny when I asked you the last time, so I was just wondering—"

"Of course I didn't!" The elder of the two exclaimed incredulously. "Don't be ridiculous!"

One of the doors they passed opened and Malik poked his head out. "Why yelling?" He asked. "Trouble?"

"No, it's nothing," Seto replied shortly and continued down the hall.

His brother, however, turned around to face the desert youth that had traveled with them for the past couple of days. "_Ne_, Malik, you went with Seto when he went to get Alumiss," he said. "Did he get involved with any girl out there?"

"Girl?" Malik quirked a sandy-colored eyebrow. "I no see girl. But Kaiba and I…separate. Why?"

"I want to know if he got someone pregnant."

"Pregnant?" Malik clearly didn't understand the word. "What pregnant?"

"Mokuba!" Seto barked across the hall, causing his little brother to dash after him.

"Bye, Malik!"

The desert-youth waved after the energetic boy before turning back into his room and closing the door as he returned to his sister and Rishid.

"What was that about?" Isis asked.

Malik shrugged. "What does 'pregnant' mean?"

The former priestess' eyes widened. "Why?"

"It was something Mokuba was asking me about," he shrugged again. "I didn't understand the word."

Rishid sighed. "It is troublesome, I don't know this language at all."

"You just have to practice," Malik smiled. "You'll get it. I'm sure I sound a total idiot compared to Isis' grasp of it all."

Isis placed her hand on her blood brother's shoulder. "Malik, there was a reason you wanted to speak to us."

Falling back into the serious demeanor he had worn before he had caught Seto's yelling, Malik told of his strange experiences of light and sound.

- - - -

Dora was a rather strange settlement compared to other places Shizuka and the others had come to. It was large and crowded, filled with an assortment of sights, sounds and smells. Also, unlike most towns, there was a myriad of people dwelling there, people from the desert, from every region and even from across the sea.

It would have been quite the sight to behold, had the group not been extremely exhausted.

"I don't think I ever want to go through that ever again…" Ryou panted, clearly tired from the two days' ride.

"I agree," Atem sighed from his place on the stone bench. "Jounouchi, your directional skills…" He faded out as he searched his vocabulary for a word.

"I believe 'suck' in the word you're groping for, Yuugi-boy," Pegasus groaned from his place next to the Pharaoh, leaning his head back to take in the sunlight gratefully.

"Hey!" Katsuya stomped his foot.

"_Onii-chan_, we should have been here day before yesterday," Shizuka said as she stood holding the reins of her horse, despite her exhaustion.

"Heaven knows that you probably have worse navigational skills after running into that tree," the silver-haired sorcerer murmured.

"I keep telling you guys, I did not run into a tree!" Katsuya exclaimed. "Some guy flew down from a tree and kicked me in the face!"

"Yes, yes, of course…"

Katsuya was clearly ready to wring the man's neck, when his sister jumped between him. "Can we not fight? Let's just get to an inn and get some rest."

All of them agreed at that, when yet another problem arose.

Ryou held his and Pegasus' money pouch, shaking it slightly to measure the amount of money inside. "I'm sorry to say that we don't have much…" he concluded with a sigh. "We might have to combine our money to get by."

Katsuya withdrew his own money bag and his expression was that of horror. "We have next to nothing…"

Pegasus groaned. "Our luck seems to be running thin today!"

Atem sighed. "We can't even rent just one room and all sleep in it?"

Shizuka took her brother's purse and then looked at Ryou's, sighing. "We might be able to for _one_ night, but there's still the problem of supplies we need to restock on."

Atem sighed again. "Then what do we do?"

"I guess we'll have to find work," the fiery-haired girl replied. "Or find some way to raise money."

At this, Pegasus sat up straight with a smile. "This should be fun. I haven't done dealing for some time; maybe we could trade some of our things in for money."

"_What_ things?" Katsuya asked skeptically. "We only brought what we were sure we'd need when we left. Unless _you_…"

"I have next to nothing valuable on my person," the man replied with bright smile.

"Then don't act like you do!" The blond exclaimed, but the wind was instantly out of his sails before he could yell more and sat on the ground. "I'm so hungry…"

Shizuka sighed and looked down the street they had yet to walk down that entered the town. "Come on. We had better see what can be done."

"_Hai_, _hai_…" With a large amount of reluctance, they all rose up.

- - - -

Isis contemplated what her brother had told her about the bizarre trances, but had no knowledge of such occurrences. "This is most strange…"

"You don't have any idea what it could mean?" Malik asked. "I feel that it means something important, but it's like a vague dream and I can't grasp it."

The woman sighed as she shook her head. "I am sorry, Malik, but I know nothing of such things."

The youth sighed and scooted back on his bed to look out the window. So many strange things, and yet he had no answers for any of them. _'It's so frustrating!'_

Looking down to the street below, Malik watched the people pass without care…

Until he caught sight of a head of fiery-red hair. Looking closer, he found it was none other than the girl he had first heard the bells with.

"That's her!"

"Who?" Isis stood.

"She's down there!" Malik dashed for the door and was almost instantly down the hall. He looked back to make sure his brother and sister were following him, and collided with someone as they turned the corner.

Recovering, Malik found himself face to face with Seto. "Malik?"

"She's here!" He said. "You, she, I all here!" He moved around the two brothers before continuing down the hall at a faster pace, perhaps to make up for the time he had spent to speak with the elder brother.

Seto and Mokuba watched curiously as Rishid and Isis also dashed past them and down the stairs.

"What was that all about?" Mokuba blinked.

"I don't know," Seto replied as they continued toward their room.

"Who's 'she'?" The boy asked as he set his dirty clothes down.

"I don't know," his older brother said.

The young prince took his hairbrush from his bag and proceeded to use it. "Is it the girl you got pregnant?"

"Mokuba!"

The younger of the two decided it would probably be best if he let up a little on his joke and concentrated on brushing his hair out the rest of the way. "_Ne_, _Nii-sama_?"

"If this is about the—"

"It's not," he replied quickly, wincing when the teeth of his brush found a snag. "Do you want to look around town for a bit later?"

"I thought you were going to sleep for a while," Seto said. "You nearly passed out in the bathtub."

"That's why I said _later_," the boy replied as he proceeded to braid his long black hair. "You said you had to take care of something later, so why not take me with you and we'll take a look around afterwards."

"I have to find a blacksmith, Alumiss needs one of his shoes looked at," the older said and thought a moment before shrugging. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt anything."

Mokuba grinned. "Great!" He then rolled over and promptly fell asleep.

Seto smirked and shook his head, sure that his brother could probably sleep through an explosion now that he was out. Feeling some exhaustion weigh on his own body, he settled into a chair by the door and rested his eyes.

- - - -

Shizuka sighed when they again stopped to rest. So far, after about two hours of walking, they had found absolutely nothing to do to get any money. Katsuya had told her, Pegasus and Ryou to rest while he and Atem looked around a bit more.

"You would think there was _some_ sort of work in a town like this," Pegasus sighed from his seat next to the girl.

"You'd think," she said, looking at the already sleeping Ryou on her left. "But I guess everybody here is doing pretty well, huh?"

The silver-haired sorcerer yawned and rubbed his eye. "I'm just going to fall asleep here…" He leaned back against the wall of the building.

Shizuka looked at him, about to stir him before he did fall asleep, but stopped when she saw his silver hair shift to reveal white bandages covering his left eye.

"Are you alright?"

"Hm?"

"Your eye…"

Pegasus quickly sat right so that his hair fell back into place. "Sorry. Didn't mean for anyone to see that…"

She watched him solemnly. "Did that happen when…when your wife was attacked?"

The man nodded wordlessly.

"Couldn't you have it healed it?"

Pegasus, for the first time since Shizuka had met him, turned his already concealed face away. "I could," he sighed. "But I prefer not to." He brushed his fingers across the bandages. "I want to keep this, as a sign of my failure…"

The girl put her hand on the man's shoulder, making him look back at her. "Would your Cyndia-_sama_ want that?"

Pausing to consider that, the sorcerer almost chuckled as he imagined how his beloved wife would playfully hit him with a document of some sort to get him out of his slump. "No. No, she definitely would not."

"Then why do it?"

Pegasus stared back into the young woman's brown eyes before smiling and covering her hand with his own. Shizuka smiled back warmly.

"_Oi_."

The two turned to the returned Katsuya and Atem.

"You keep using the fact that you're married as an excuse, but here I am, finding you fondling my sister when I'm not around," the blond Slayer glared.

Shizuka returned her brother's glare. "He isn't fondling me!"

"Uh huh, right, sure," Katsuya rolled his tired eyes. "The next time I catch you in the act, I'll break your fingers off," he pointed to the sorcerer.

Pegasus rewarded him with a bright smile as he raised his fist to his brow in salute. "Yes, sir. Lose my fingers, sir."

The blond sighed. "Anyway, we found something we _might_ be able to do for money."

"A job?"

"Not exactly."

Atem pulled a neatly folded flier out of his pocket and handed it to the red-haired Slayer. Unfolding it, Shizuka and Pegasus read:

**Test your strength in the arena!**

**Prove you're the best, win big!**

**2,000 gold to the First Place Winner!**

The young Slayer and the Sorcerer looked back up. "A tournament?"

"Somethin' of the sort," Katsuya shrugged with a small smile as he pointed back to the estranged Pharaoh. "Atem found it."

Shizuka's eyes widened as she met the youth's ruby red gaze. "_Honto_?"

Atem nodded. "I found it and we went down to the…fair grounds where the tournament is being held. It turns out they don't use actual weapons, just wooden ones. I felt that would be fine."

The girl smiled. "Then you wouldn't mind if I took part in it?"

Atem smiled gently. "I have to learn to live with it…"

Pegasus took the flier. "Well, Shizuka, you and Jounouchi will have to be the ones to go in, because I won't be taking part. I don't exactly like beating people around; I'm a magic-user after all." He looked to his sleeping apprentice and nudged him. "Ryou. Ryou, wake up."

The white-haired youth started awake and rubbed his eyes sleepily as he stretched. "Yes, Master?"

"Do you want to enter a fighting tournament to raise money for us?"

Ryou blinked. "Not really, no…"

Pegasus looked back at Atem. "Yuugi-boy?"

The Pharaoh shook his spiky, tri-colored head. "I will pass."

"That's it then," the sorcerer smiled. "You two will enter, we three will watch from the sidelines."

The three stood up and Shizuka winced as the wood caught some strands of her hair and pulled it out, but took the reins of her horse and followed after her brother and Atem.

Seeing the still tired gait of the Pharaoh, she put a hand on his shoulder. He jumped slightly at the contact, but upon seeing Shizuka's gentle smile directed at him he returned a small smile of his own.

- - - -

Malik stopped to catch his breath, his siblings following suit breathlessly.

He looked about the crowded street frantically, but found no sign of the redhead he had burst from the inn to pursue. "Oh, Hells…!" He panted. "How could I have lost her!"

Isis sat down on a nearby bench, her breath totally spent.

Rishid took several deep breaths of his own before speaking. "Are you sure it was the same girl as before?"

"Yes! I'm positive!" Malik said. "Hair as red as that couldn't possibly be duplicated!"

"Red hair…"

At Isis' breathless voice, the two turned to the former priestess to see her holding out her hand. Moving closer, Malik's lavender eyes widened at the sight of three strands of red hair held between his sister's thumb and index finger.

"I might be able to locate her with this…" Isis said. "But I cannot be sure that it will work; it might not even belong to the girl we are looking for."

"Please try, sister," the youth pleaded.

Taking a calming breath, Isis closed her eyes and held up the three strands of fire.

"Hear me, ancient ones who lie beyond the veil…touch this fragment and lead us to the one it was born from…"

Slowly, the strands of hair wrapped around the woman's hand and urged her up to her feet; once standing, the hair pulled her hand toward her left.

Continuing down to the end of the street, they took a right and continued down that way until they found themselves at the edge of town. There, the three were faced with a vast field of colorful tents and flags, countless sounds and smells filling the air.

"What is this?" Rishid inquired.

"It appears to be a festival of some sort," Isis replied simply. She returned her attention to the three strands of hair that tugged incessantly in her hold and they continued walking down the road, entering the colorful fair.

Malik was amazed and near overwhelmed at the amount of life and light mixing and moving all around him.

It reminded him strongly of that day long ago…

- - -

He looked up at the men and women that towered over his thirteen year-old form, passing him bay as if he were one of them and was nothing for him to be standing out in the sunlight.

"This is so amazing! There's so many people!"

"Be careful, Malik," his sister urged. "You mustn't touch anything."

- - -

Malik was now equal height with many of the people he passed, and could now carry himself without worry of touching objects of a world he had been denied for more than half his life.

"Malik."

At his sister's voice, he turned to meet her dove-blue gaze. "Yes?"

"We should continue on," she urged. "I feel we are close."

"Right," the sandy-blond youth nodded and followed his older sister while Rishid walked at his back protectively as they moved onward.

Making their way to the center of the festival, they found themselves before what appeared to be a coliseum below ground level.

"Very strange," Isis murmured as the hairs drew her in to the sign up and ticket table.

The large man at the table grinned. "G'day to ye! What can I do for ye?"

Even Isis stopped, barely able to understand the man's thick, slurred words and thought a moment before speaking. "Greetings…I am looking for someone." She held up the three red hairs in her hand. "A girl…red hair…"

The man tugged at his beard as he thought a moment before snapping his fingers. "Oh yeah! Purdy lil thing, came in here jus' a lil while ago. Signed up fer the fights."

"Battle?" Malik inquired.

"Nuttin' serious," the man assured. "Jus' a friendly tournament, tha's all."

Friendly or not, Isis could hardly believe the young woman they sought would participate in combat.

Malik stood in pensive silence before taking a decisive breath. "For battles…I write…can I?"

Isis turned to her brother with a start.

"An'one over fifteen can sign up," the man replied and pointed to the sheet of paper on his left.

The youth moved to sign, when he felt his sister's hand on his arm and he turned to meet her worried gaze.

"Malik… Are you certain you want to do this?" She asked in their mother tongue.

"If this is the only chance we have to catch her, I have to take it," he replied. His sister opened her mouth to object, but he quickly smiled and covered her hand with his own. "Don't worry. I won't hurt her."

The former priestess sighed. "Very well…" she replied, and her blue eyes grew stern. "But I only ask that Rishid accompany you."

Rishid bowed. "As you wish it."

- - -

Atem lifted his paper cup, quirking an eyebrow at the clear objects that floated in the water. "What are those?"

"What?" Pegasus asked over the rim of his cup of juice.

"Those clear objects," he replied, holding out his cup in emphasis.

"That's called ice, Yuugi-boy."

"Eyesss…"

The silver-haired magic-user chuckled. "_Ice_. It's frozen water."

"Frozen?"

"That means the water became so cold it solidified," Ryou explained.

"Is that possible?" The estranged Pharaoh asked with wide eyes, making the two pale-haired sorcerers laugh.

The shrill call of a whistle made their eyes return to the arena floor where they saw the man from the sign up table standing at attention.

"Welcome to this year's festival tournament!" The crowds cheered like thunder at his announcement. "Now, this year, we got more fun, more food, more women in our festival, as well as some new faces in the fights! Le's give a warm welcome to our new competitors!"

Another cheer shook the stadium as the tournament participants lined up along the arena floor.

"There are Shizuka and Jounouchi!" Ryou pointed to the redhead and blond siblings standing to the far left of the arena and waved.

"It would seem they have quite the competition, though," sighed the youth's mentor as he looked down the line of fighters.

A cup of ice water hit the floor, startling the two magic-users and their attention shot to the tri-colored youth who rose from his seat to see better.

"Lord Pharaoh?"

"What is it, Yuugi-boy?"

Atem stood frozen, unable to hear his companions' questions as he stared at the pair of dester-skinned competitors standing at the right end of the long line. The first was taller and muscular compared to his smaller, sandy-haired charge who looked down to the left at another fighter.

"Rishid! Malik!"

Before Pegasus and Ryou could process his words, the Pharaoh charged down the row of seats to get to the stairs.

"Yuugi-boy!" Pegasus jumped up, but it was apparent his words would not stop him as he continued to push through the people. So he turned to his apprentice. "Ryou, go after him."

"Yes, sir!" The white-haired youth jumped up onto the railing behind the row of seats and walked along it to follow Atem.

Sighing, Pegasus took another drink of his juice and moved to sit back down, when another sound caught his attention.

"Please, just leave me alone!"

Looking to his left, toward another stairway, Pegasus saw a dark-skinned, dark-haired woman trying to pull her arm free of a man's grasp.

'_The work of a gentleman is never done…'_

- - -

Isis pulled back, while the man who had been following and bothering her since she left Malik and Rishid tightened his hold on her arm.

"C'mon! If yer lookin' for work, I can help ya."

"I am doing no such thing!" Isis pulled. "Release me!"

"Excuse me…"

Both the former priestess and her assailant turned, and the first thing the woman saw was shimmering silver. Her mind finally registered that the silver was in fact another man's hair blowing in the breeze, and she was curious how hair would be such a unique color.

"There does seem to be a problem here, yes?" The new man asked.

"It's no business o' yers!" Isis' captor spat, yanking her arm back.

The silver-haired man stared back at him, clearly disapproving of his attitude as well as his treatment of the woman. His rosewood gaze gradually chipping away the other man's high state of mind, making his sweat nervously, before he suddenly released Isis' arm and ran off.

Gently rubbing her sore wrist, Isis watched after the man until he disappeared into the crowds and released a sigh of relief.

"Are you alright, Miss?"

Turning back to the silver-haired man she nodded. "Thank you for your help."

"No need to thank me," he smiled warmly. "Are you here to watch the tournament as well?"

Isis hesitated in answering, but chose to nonetheless. "My brothers are participating, I am here to watch."

"Two of my friends are taking part as well," the man said. "And my apprentice and another companion were with me, but they wanted to get a closer look, and now I'm all alone. Would you care to sit with me?"

Again, Isis was hesitant; this stranger was being uncharacteristically friendly.

But as if sensing her confusion and reluctance, the man laughed. "I'm sorry! I'm probably being too forward, and I haven't even introduced myself." He bowed. "My name is Pegasus J. Crawford; and you?"

"…Isis of the clan of Ishtar."

"Isis? That is an Eastern Goddess, isn't it?"

The former priestess' eyes widened. "Why…yes, it is!"

The man called Pegasus smiled. "I do my homework," he said. "Please, why don't you sit with me. You don't have to worry…" he held up his left hand, displaying a gold ring on his finger, "…I am a married man. I would never dream of picking on you."

Isis thought about it. He didn't seem to give off any scents of malice or lust or anything she had been sensing from the other man. Just…an oddly sunny aura. "Very well. I will accept your offer, Sir Pegasus."

"Just Pegasus is fine," the silver-haired man chuckled. "Come; I'll get get you a cup of ice water."

Isis blinked. "Eyesss?"

- - -

In the arena, the fights kicked off and the crowds cheered and hissed at the victories and defeats, some won money, some lost money, but all were rather astounded at the skill of the pair of Black Dragon Kingdom slayers that entered the arena to fight, and always came out on top. And if that wasn't enough of an impression, a certain pair of desert natives—one a swordsman, the other a martial artist—had also become crowd favorites.

The day wore on, fighters came and fell, and Katsuya found his strength coming back with each victory.

"Whoo!" He collapsed beside his sister on the bench in the dugout, sweating and grinning like a fool. "What a tournament! Eh, Shizuka?"

The redhead smiled at her brother's enthusiasm. "We just might make it to the finals, huh?"

The bell rang and they looked up as a fighter from their side of the stadium stepped forward to meet one coming from the opposite end. Now that there weren't as many competitors this late in the game, they were able actually see the match.

At first, all that connected with Shizuka's brain was a certain head of sandy-blond hair, but it hung with such familiarity that she continued to watch him. Finally, she recalled the youth from the inn back at Cleef, and felt a skip in her heart.

'_First Pegasus…and now him…'_

However, she was not the only one who recognized the youth.

Katsuya scratched his head as his brain itched with a memory he couldn't quite grasp. _'Where've I seen him before?'_ He wondered. _'Where was it…?'_

The youth parried his opponent's wooden sword and jumped into the air, kicking him in the head with the back of his shin.

"Hey!" The blond slayer exclaimed, making everyone on his side jump with surprise. "That's the guy! He's the guy that kicked me in the head!"

Shizuka blinked. "_Eh_?"

"When I was chasing after that peeping tom!" Katsuya pointed to the victorious desert youth. "He's the guy who swung down from a tree and kicked me in the head!"

His fiery-haired sister looked back out to the arena as the youth walked back toward his side of the stadium; he suddenly stopped and looked back over his shoulder.

Amethyst met earth brown again, but there was no bell in their lock.

- - -

Malik sighed when he heard no tones and turned to continue on his way back to the dugout.

"Master Malik…"

The youth looked back to his brother and sighed as he turned to look back across the arena to the girl. "I'm sure it's her," he said. "But I can't hear anything this time either…"

Rishid looked out. "Perhaps it is a sign of some sort," he suggested. "It rings out when someone important is found…?"

Malik shrugged and sat down. "All we can do is wait…"

- - -

"Come _on_, _Nii-sama_!" Mokuba urged as he looked back down the entrance to the stadium at his slow moving brother. "Half of the fights are over already!"

They came out into the sunlight and leaned against the railing as they looked down into the arena.

"So why did you want to come here?" Seto asked dully.

"It just sounded interesting, that's all," the black-haired boy replied.

"It's probably all just a bunch of farmers and such hitting each other with sticks."

"And yet you're still here," Mokuba replied.

Seto scoffed and looked back down at the fight still going on. When one of the two came out victorious, he left and the other stumbled away, and the next two competitors approached the center of the arena.

And Seto immediately recognized the freed, red hair of the young woman walking out from the dugout beneath him. With a sharp intake of air, he spun around so that his back was to the arena.

"_Nii-sama_?" Mokuba blinked. "_Daijoubou_?"

"Y-Yeah," the older of the two replied. "Fine."

Mokuba raised an eyebrow at his brother's behavior, but chose to let it go and watched the fight.

- - -

Elsewhere, Ryou stopped to catch his breath before continuing down the hall toward the estranged Pharaoh as he argued with the door guard.

"I demand that you let me through!" Atem barked.

"No one's allowed in until the end of the tournament, pal," the man said. "Now go back to your seat and wait there."

"For the last time…" The spiky-haired youth ground, "Step aside!"

"Lord Pharaoh!" Ryou grasped his shoulders and looked back at the guard. "I apologize for his behavior." And without another word, the magician pushed Atem back down the hall toward the stairs.

"I have to get in there!" Atem tore out of the boy's grasp.

"Why?" Ryou asked.

"I do not have to explain myself! Just get the door open!"

To his surprise, the white-haired youth folded his arms across his chest. "Lord Pharaoh, if it is so important, you could have told Master Pegasus and myself about it before tearing off and causing problems."

Atem clenched his teeth, glaring harshly at the boy's impudence. But Ryou met his ruby glare with his own stern brown gaze, obviously ready to stand there all day if need be.

Finally, Atem took a steady breath and folded his arms across his chest. "There are two people competing in this tournament that I know very well from my kingdom," he said. "I have to talk to them."

Ryou sighed and tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well, there's no way we'll be able to get through now," he said. "We'll just have to wait until the end of the tournament and meet with them then."

Atem ground his teeth. He didn't want to wait; he wanted in _now_.

Ryou sighed, catching the look on the Pharaoh's face. "I understand that it's hard, but we can't stir up trouble now. We have to lay low."

Knowing his companion was right, Atem nodded. "Very well."

Ryou thanked his stars he hadn't been forced to take drastic measures to calm the Pharaoh. "Let's watch from somewhere closer to the ground," he suggested. "If we can call to your friends, perhaps they can come find us."

Atem blinked and nodded. "Alright."

- - -

Shizuka blocked her opponent's blow and threw him back, knocking him off his feet. He fell onto his back, and as he attempted to get up the wooden blade of the girl's sword met his throat.

She smiled down at him, a little winded but happy. "Checkmate."

"Whoo-hoo! Shizuka! You rule!" Katsuya called to his sister and looked to the other competitors. "That's my sister! That's _my_ sister! Hoo-ha!"

The stadium roared with cheers and boos, but she just waved at them all with a smile before turning to head back to the dugout. As she walked, something called her eyes to the railing a row above her and she a young boy with long black hair waving to her.

Smiling, she waved back, but stopped when she noticed the second person standing with his back to the arena. She shrugged it off as she entered the dugout and took her seat next to her brother.

- - -

"Wow!" Mokuba stared in awe after the girl. "That was amazing!"

"I'm sure it was…" Seto murmured.

His little brother looked back at him curiously. "_Nii-sama_, are you sure nothing's wrong?"

"Everything's fine," the older prince replied.

Mokuba looked from his brother to the arena and back again. "She won; she's sitting down now."

Seto looked over his shoulder.

"Do you know that girl?"

Seto jerked. "What? What makes you say that?"

"You wouldn't watch the fight, and when I told you she was gone you turned around," Mokuba replied. He then smiled cheekily, displaying all of his perfect white teeth. "I bet _she's_ the girl you got pregnant in the woods!"

Heat shot up to Seto's face, turning his cheeks a rosy color. "I told you! I didn't get any girl pregnant!"

"Then how come you're blushing?" Mokuba asked, honestly surprised at his brother's reaction.

Seto quickly covered his face and looked away. "I am not!"

His younger brother sighed with frustration, but let it go to watch the next fight. "Hey! There's Rishid!"

Just then, two young men came dashing down the hall and one grabbed onto the railing, his spiky, tri-colored hair moving in the breeze as he took a deep breath.

"RISHID!" But his call was drowned out by the cheer of the stadium, and he panted as he leaned against the railing, and his white-haired companion put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Mokuba looked from the two new comers to his brother, and from the narrowed, sideways glance, he understood he was not to say anything to the strangers until Seto gave the okay.

- - -

Isis crunched the 'frozen water' in her teeth thoughtfully and looked back into her paper cup full of ice. "Very curious."

Pegasus laughed. "A friend of mine acts the same way," he said and looked out to the stadium floor. "Oh, another fight is starting!"

Isis raised her eyes and sat up straight. "Rishid."

"One of your brothers?"

She nodded.

"What are you going to use the money for if you win?"

Isis blinked. "Money?"

"Isn't that why you're participating?" Pegasus asked. "To earn money?"

"Oh… No, not really," the woman replied with a shake of her head. "There's someone else here my younger brother feels the need to speak with; a young girl with red hair."

Pegasus blinked. "Red hair?"

Isis nodded and pointed toward the dug out on her left. "The girl over there…"

"Hmm… Really?" Pegasus took a thoughtful sip of his juice.

- - -

Rishid dropped and kicked his opponent's feet out from under him, resulting in his fall and the desert man's victory.

The referee blew his whistle as Rishid bowed to his fallen opponent and left the arena.

"A'right, kiddies! It's the Finals!" The stadium erupted with cheers and he held up his hands for silence. "And our finalists are…" He held his right hand out toward the blond and his redhead sister, "Jounouchi Katsuya and Kawai Shizuka!" Cheers and applause sounded as he raises his left hand to the two desert natives. "And Rishid and Malik Ishtar!"

The four smiled and waved to the screaming stadium of onlookers.

- - -

"Kawai Shizuka…"

Ryou looked up at the utterance of his friend's name, at the taller of the two youths he and Atem had joined at the railing. But the brown-haired stranger kept his shaded blue gaze on the fiery-haired girl down below.

"There!" Atem jerked Ryou's hand and pointed to the opposite end of the stadium at the two dark-skinned contenders. "That's Malik and Rishid!"

The white-haired youth blinked upon catching sight of the sandy blond of the two. "I know him…Malik."

"What?" The Pharaoh turned with a start.

"I-I met him once," Ryou replied. "Just before we left Cleef; he was at the inn."

Seto and Mokuba looked from the two strangers, then at each other and then back to the arena.

- - -

"Now, if our four competitors would come to the center of the arena, we'll work out the last couple of fights."

Shizuka, Katsuya, Malik and Rishid all made their way to the referee who held a straw hat with some folded pieces of paper inside.

"Now, y'all 'r' gonna take a paper," the man said. "This'll determine the next two fights, 'n' the winners'll face off in the last math. Get it?"

Shizuka and Katsuya nodded.

Malik blinked. "Yes?"

"Right! Now, take yer pick."

The four reached into the hat, each taking a paper. Unfolding their papers, they held them out for the referee to see the numbers written inside: Katsuya held a 1, while Shizuka had a 2; Malik held a 2 and Rishid held a 1.

"Match one of the finals will be between Jounouchi Katsuya and Rishid Ishtar!" The stadium roared with excitement. "In the following match, we'll see Malik Istar face off against Kawai Shizuka!"

The redhead looked back at the desert youth; Malik smiled and she couldn't help but smile back.

Katsuya leaned over to his sister. "_Ne_, Shizuka! If I beat the big guy, throw the match with the small fry so I can kick him a couple times in the head!"

Shizuka glared. "_Onii-chan_!"

The referee waved his hands out. "Can ya'll please take your places? Fight's 'bout t' start."

Shizuka and Malik nodded, and the young slayer left while the desert youth spoke to his adopted brother a little longer before returning to his own side.

"_Ganbare_, _Onii-chan_!" Shizuka called from the dugout, and Katsuya waved back to her.

The blond turned back to face his opponent as he popped his neck a couple times and smiled. Rishid, however, remained stone-faced.

"Don't go easy on me just 'cause I'm small, okay?"

- - -

Pegasus sat forward as the referee blew his whistle to signal the start of the fight, with Rishid taking first strike at Katsuya.

Isis was amazed when the blond evaded the blow and looked to make one of his own with his wood sword, but Rishid was quick to pull back and Katsuya's weapon just barely grazed her adopted brother's dark cheek.

- - -

Ryou winced when Rishid landed a punch at the side of Katsuya's head, sending the Slayer backwards toward the ground.

But Atem knew the blond wouldn't go down so easily, and wasn't incredibly surprised when Katsuya caught himself and rolled into a summersault to help get back on his feet.

Mokuba stared in interest and awe as the Slayer righted himself and brought his sword down on Rishid's right shoulder, making the man grimace and knocked the wooden blade away with his left hand.

Having been chased by him once, Seto had a feeling now that the blond had landed a blow he would go for another blow, and was proven right when the stranger brought his leg up toward Rishid's head. He hadn't expect the desert-dweller to be fast enough to dodge the blow, and was thus surprised when he instead caught Katsuya's leg before he could land a hit.

- - -

Shizuka knew her brother had a built in instinct that wouldn't allow him to stay in a lock for any long period of time, no matter what it took. But she was nonetheless surprised when Katsuya kicked Rishid with his other leg.

Malik knew the blow the blond had landed on the side of his head would bring Rishid down. And as his adopted brother fell backwards, Katsuya was left with both feet off the ground.

- - -

Inevitably, gravity took its course and both Katsuya and Rishid hit the ground hard.

The referee stood up, and when the count of ten had been called, it was an official stalemate.

Shizuka and Malik wasted no time in rushing from their seats to their sibling's side.

"_Onii-chan_!" The girl lifted her brother's head onto her lap. "_Onii-chan_, _daijoubou_?"

Malik knelt over his own brother, putting his hand to the man's sweating brow. "Rishid?"

Katsuya and Rishid both winced at the movement and contact before opening their eyes and sat up rubbing their injured heads.

"Are you alright, Rishid?" Malik asked as he grasped his shoulder.

The man nodded. "Yes…I believe so."

"_Itai_!" Katsuya cried out as he held the back of his blond head and looked to his sister. "Am I bleeding?"

Shizuka checked and shook her head with a smile. "You just bonked your head a bit."

He laughed sheepishly. "Didn't think to catch myself, I guess…" He looked back at Rishid and Malik. "Oi, that was a good fight."

Rishid blinked and Malik mended by translating the blond's words, to which the man bowed.

Katsuya laughed and held out his hand, to which both desert-dwellers blinked. "You shake it," he said. "It's sort of a good will thing here."

Malik nodded and interpreted for his brother, who nodded as well and grasped Katsuya's extended hand and shook it lightly, making the stadium explode with cheers.

"Well, that one has to be the weirdest match ever in the history o' this stadium, folks!" The referee called. "Let's have hand for these two great fighters!"

Katsuya and Rishid got back to their feet, waving to the crowds as their younger siblings helped them back to the separate dugouts.

"And now, as that last fight was a stalemate, seems t' me that this next match is gonna be the last and final of the day!" The onlookers cheered, whistled and clapped in excitement.

- - -

"Are you going to be okay, Katsuya?" Shizuka asked as she rested the damp cloth on the back of her brother's head.

"Yeah…" The blond winced and took hold of the cloth. "I'll be fine. You better get out there; you're up next."

Shizuka nodded and hugged her older brother. "Wish me luck."

"It's on her heels!" He called after her. "Knock 'em dead! And kick him in the head for me!"

- - -

Malik looked over Rishid's bruises and sighed in relief at the lack of fatality to them. "You should be fine. Isis will patch you up just fine."

"I apologize for my failure, Master Malik…"

"Oh, stop!" The youth smiled. "It wasn't a real serious fight; I bet you could beat him any day of the week." He turned as the referee blew the whistle, and he saw Shizuka already waiting in the arena. "Okay. I'll be back soon."

Rishid looked out at his master's opponent as he moved to leave. "Be careful," he urged, making Malik look back. "There is something…"

"Yes?"

The man shook his head.

Blinking, Malik continued toward the center of the arena.

- - -

Having once made it to Shizuka and the referee, the stadium erupted, making both fighters wince and cover their ears.

"A'right," the man said to them. "We want a clean fight, but give us something to gawk at, 'kay? Give us some fire!"

Hearing that, Shizuka set her wooden sword down to lean against her leg so that she could reach into her pocket. She then withdrew her hair tie and proceeded to put her hair up into a tail.

- - -

"Shizuka is serious about this fight…" Atem said.

Ryou blinked. "What do you mean?"

The Pharaoh looked back at the apprentice magician. "Jounouchi told me that Shizuka only puts her hair up when she is serious about something like this."

"Oh…" Ryou looked back to the arena floor. "I hope they don't hurt each other."

Seto felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as Malik and the girl stood facing each other, and felt a strange, yet familiar warmth in the air and he turned to face the stadium.

- - -

Isis took a shuddering breath, making Pegasus look up at her. "Are you alright?"

The woman smiled nervously. "The air…is suddenly filled with energy," she replied. "It is…incredible."

Pegasus looked down at the two teenagers soon to be engaged in combat. He too could sense a stirring in the air and stood up. "Why don't we get a closer look?" He asked. "I'm sure you're brother would want you to get a good view of everything."

- - -

"What?"

Valon looked away from the window back to his friend and often roommate. "What is it?"

Rafael touched the black glass, trying to focus on the gold sparkle and black stirring within. "Something is…moving…deep within…"

- - -

Shizuka raised her weapon to Malik, who in turn raised his own wooden sword. As if driven by the same hand, they both charged and connected at the exact same moment.

They pushed against each other's weapon until it became obvious neither would yield, and thus they tore away only to block and attempt more blows. But after a while, the two began to make their marks, hitting flesh instead of wood.

The two gradually gained admiration and confidence, striking faster and heavier with each pass they made at each other until they had to pull back to breathe. Both were suddenly fueled by an incredible energy and charged at each other again, each delivering such a powerful blow that both of their wooden training swords broke like twigs.

The stadium fell silent as the cloud of splinters fell and the pieces whistled as they flew out in various directions.

Malik and Shizuka stared at their broken weapons, both as wide-eyed as the other, and they both raised their gazes to stare at each other.

Again, the energy filled the air and they threw down the remains of their weapons as they turned and ran back to their dugout, each unfolding something from their cloaks. And when they returned, they each bore a true blade—Shizuka's one _katana_ and Malik with his twin swords—that gleamed in the sunlight as they took their fighting stances.

- - -

Isis and Pegasus pushed through the people to reach the railing, and the woman gasped at the sight of her brother wielding his swords against the girl who also held one of her own.

"What is he thinking!"

Pegasus suddenly felt the energy he had sensed from his previous seat rush through every nerve in his body, making his hair stand at attention and he took a shuddering breath to try and calm himself.

- - -

Shizuka struck without warning, but Malik was able to catch her sword between his two blades. Sparks flew off their swords as the young woman pulled her blade back, and the clash of metal filled the arena as they moved about, parrying and striking, but never landing any blows.

They drew away from each other, lungs burning from lack of air and arms from so much activity throughout the entire day. But as breathless as they were, they only paused a moment to try and take air into their lungs before charging again.

In a clean swipe of Shizuka's blade, one of Malik's twin swords was completely severed from the hilt.

A gasp echoed throughout the stadium as the broken metal struck the ground and Shizuka fell to one knee on the ground behind the sandy-haired youth. For a long while nothing moved.

Finally, Shizuka and Malik looked over their shoulders at each other, and something from long ago surfaced…

- - -

_The red-haired youth rose up from his crouch as he brushed sand from his black clothes, and smiled back at his black and gold-haired sparring partner._

"_I keep telling you, Akanem…I can whip you anytime…"_

- - -

Shizuka and Malik shook their heads as the image cleared from their eyes and looked at each other amazed.

The young woman rose to her feet, causing an eruption of cheers from the stadium of people that shook the ground.

She and Malik looked at the vast audience of people, and then back at each other curiously and both spoke at the same time.

"Did you—"

They stopped and laughed nervously.

Shizuka chose to go on. "It was a good fight," she said, bowing to the boy. "_Arigatougozaimas_."

Malik blinked, not quite sure what her last word had been, but nodded. "It was…good battle."

"We have our winner, folks!" The referee called, holding up Shizuka's hand. "Kawai Shizuka is this year's Dora Tournament champion!"

The people applauded, cheered and confetti rained down into the arena in celebration of the young woman's victory.

"Kawai Shizuka…"

The redhead turned to her former opponent.

"I must…speak words with you," Malik said. "Words…of…bells."

Shizuka's eyes widened. "So you heard it too."

He nodded. "And now…I see…men…after battle…"

Shizuka stepped closer to look into Malik's amethyst eyes, and within them she saw only truth. Putting her trust in his eyes, as she had for Pegasus, she smiled and offered her hand.

At first, Malik only stared at the appendage blankly, before he recalled the handshake Rishid and Katsuya had shared and took her hand in his own.

"You can just call me Shizuka," she said, gripping his hand.

The desert youth smiled, returning the grip on his hand. "I am…Malik…of the family of Ishatar."

Shizuka smiled. "Just Malik then."

"_Oi_, Shizuka!"

The two looked toward the call and found Katsuya running toward them, his sister's cloak draped over his arms.

"_Onii-chan_."

"_Oi_, _oi_, _oi_!" The blond pointed at their joined hands. "What's the deal, sis? He's holding your hand."

"_Onii-chan_, this is Malik," Shizuka smiled. "And…it's a little difficult to explain, but we have a strange sort of a connection, and—"

"_Connection_?" Katsuya's jaw dropped. "You get into a fight with him and suddenly you have 'a connection'?"

"_Onii-chan_…"

- - -

"Let's go, Mokuba," Seto said as he turned away from the arena.

"_Hai_!" The black-haired boy hopped down from the railing to follow after his brother.

Ryou turned, watching the two strangers as they left, but his attention was immediately torn away to instead look after Atem as he dashed away. "Lord Pharaoh!"

Atem ran beside the railing, careful to keep Malik in his sights even as the sunny-blond made his way back to Rishid in the dugout with Shizuka and Katsuya in tow. "Malik!" He called out, but his voice was again drowned out by the moving crowds. "Malik! Mal—"

He was cut off as he collided with someone and fell to the ground.

"Oh, I am sorry!" The familiar voice of a certain woman caught his ear. "I did not…see…"

Atem looked up into the pair of lovely blue eyes set into a familiar dark face, and his red eyes widened. "Isis…"

"Pharaoh Atem…!" Isis fell to her knees before the young man.

Pegasus stood over the former Priestess and the estranged Pharaoh, his silver eyebrows raised. "I see you two have met…"

His lifted his rosewood eye to his white-haired apprentice as he came running toward them. "Look, Ryou!" He smiled. "We made a new friend!"

- - -

Katsuya stared at his sister as she stood over Malik as he connected and separated the cleanly severed blade from its hilt. "You want me to _what_?"

"Fix it," Shizuka replied. "It was easy to cut through; it should be just as easy for you to put it back together."

"But I don't get _why_ you want me to fix it," the blond said.

"Twin swords," Malik said, holding out the blade and hilt. "One of twins die."

"Don't try to be funny with me, kid!" Katsuya hollered. "I got a bone to pick with you, so I don't see much of a reason to _help_ you!"

Malik raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to one side. "You pick bones?"

"It's an expression, you moron!"

"Onii-chan!" Shizuka grabbed her brother's arm. "Please, stop yelling at him. The repair should be an easy job for you; you're the best."

Katsuya sighed and scratched his head. "Alright, fine," he said. "I'll do it, but only if he apologizes."

Again, the desert youth looked confused. "Why for?"

"What for! For kicking me in the head!"

Malik stared at the blond, scrunching his face as he dug through his memory. Finally, a smile dawned upon his features. "Ah!" He pointed a dark finger at Katsuya. "Horse thief!"

Katsuya blinked, clearly confused. "Horse…thief?"

"Chase horse. I swing fall. Bang." Malik nodded. "You knock down. Many apologies."

Shizuka smiled. "There, he apologized. Now you have to fix his sword. You promised."

"Hai, hai," the blond waved exasperatingly. "But I need someplace to work; a smithy."

"I think I saw one back in town," Shizuka said. "The Red Moon…?"

"Oh, yeah! I saw that place!" Katsuya nodded. "We can try there."

Shizuka stopped. "Oh! But I have to go collect my winnings first."

"How 'bout I take Malik and Rishid with me, and you go get the money and meet us there?" The blond stopped. "Oh, and find the others too. When you get there, I want you to tell me what this is all about, okay?"

"You're not the only one, _Onii-chan_," his sister sighed.

"Ah! Malik gasped, making the two Slayers jump. "Isis!"

"Isis?"

The youth quickly turned to his bodyguard and brother. "Rishid, you have to go find Isis! She's still all by herself!"

The man nodded. "I will do so, Master Malik."

Malik turned back to Shizuka. "Rishid go too. Find…our…sister."

"Oh! Okay then," the redhead nodded and smiled at the man as she motioned for him to join her. "Shall we?"

At first, Rishid only stared, but with a nudge from Malik he started off, somewhat surprised when Shizuka fell in step alongside him as they walked.

"Okay, Ishtar," Katsuya sighed. "Let's take you and your damaged ego and fix it up, eh?"

"Question?" Malik asked.

"_Nani_?"

"What 'ego'? Don't know 'ego'."

- - -

Shizuka signed the tournament papers and handed them back to the referee and ticket salesman. "Hai."

"Good fightin' t'day!" The man smiled as he took the papers and handed her the bag of award money. "I hafta admit, y' got talent with a sword, kid."

"Arigatou."

"Oh! Be sure t' come t' th' feast t'morrow night," he said. "Special event t' honor yer victory."

"Honto?"

"Yeah! It's tradition," the man smiled. "Winner o' th' tournament dances with the festival maiden."

Shizuka blinked before smiling sheepishly. "I'll…try to make it."

Stepping back out into the early evening sunlight, Shizuka turned to meet Rishid as he returned from the stadium. "Rishid, did you find Isis?"

Having only understood his name, as well as the name of his oldest charge, the man shook his head.

Just as she was about to recommend that they look together, a familiar voice called out to her that made her smiled and turn.

"Shizuka!" Pegasus waved as he and the others made their way over.

"Pegasus!" The young woman, followed by Rishid, met the silver-haired magic-user half-way. "I won! Did you see?"

"We did!" He smiled. "Congratulations! Listen, Shizuka; we met this woman and—"

"Lady Isis?" Rishid stepped forward upon catching sight of the blue-eyed woman, but froze upon seeing the spiky-haired young man standing beside her. "Lord Pharaoh…?"

Atem smiled. "It is I, Rishid."

The man fell to his knees, putting his face to the ground. "Your Majesty!"

Shizuka blinked, looking from Rishid, to Isis, to Pegasus. "What is going on?"

- - -

Seto soothingly stroked Alumiss' face as the blacksmith sat down on a nearby stool.

"Ye got yerself a real beauty of a horse there, mate," he smiled. "Real well behaved too. I should have yer new shoes on him and his friend by the end of t'morrow."

"Good," the blue-eyed prince replied. "I want to be back on the road as soon as possible."

"Can do, sir."

"Thank you very much," Mokuba said as he hopped down from petting Valent.

"No problem," the man smiled. Just then, raised voices came from the front of the smithy and he rose up to look into it. "What's all the ruckus he called as he moved the curtain hanging in the doorway.

"There's some guys here who wanta use the smithy!" His apprentice called back.

"Just the fire!" A strangely familiar voice said. "I've got my own tools!"

Curious about this new arrival, Seto moved to enter the front of the smithy, Mokuba following in his wake. And upon entering the area, the prince found two familiar faces waiting for him. The first being Malik, and the second—

"You!" Jounouchi Katsuya pointed an accusing finger at Seto.

"Ah. Kaiba," Malik blinked.

"The peeping tom!" The blond exclaimed.

Mokuba leaned sideways to see past his brother, raising an eyebrow at the statement. "Peeping tom?" He looked back up at his brother. "_Nii-sama_, what's he talking about?"

"Uhh…"

"I'm gonna _kill_ you!" Katsuya drew his smith's hammer from his leather bag and charged the blue-eyed youth.

- - -

"So, you serve Atem back in the Gold Dragon Kingdom?" Shizuka asked Isis as they approached the smithy.

"Lord Pharaoh Atem, yes," the woman corrected and answered.

"Hmm…" The girl nodded. "So, what are you doing all the way out here?"

"Well—"

One of the front windows of the smithy, the one closest to the two women shattered, making Isis shriek and Rishid jump to defend her, but they watched as the object that broke through the glass—a large hammer—landed on the ground before them.

Shizuka knelt down and picked it up, finding her brother's initials engraved on the side. "This is _Onii-chan_'s."

"Oh, dear," Pegasus sighed at the sound of a struggled going on inside the smithy. "It would seem Jounouchi-boy has started another brawl."

Shizuka stood up and rushed to the doors of the smithy, Pegasus and the others close behind. Inside, chairs and a table had been overturned, as had a couple of bottles, and at the far end of the room by the hearth the smith and Malik held Katsuya by his arms—careful of the red hot iron he held in the stead of his lost hammer—to keep him away from the brown-haired, blue-eyed youth he had cornered. And between them, a black-haired youth stood ready to fend off the angered blond himself to protect his older brother.

"Knock it off, kid!" The smith shouted, struggling to keep his hold on the blond. "That guy's a customer!"

"Peace, Jounouchi!" Malik urged. "Peace!"

At the sight of the desert youth, Pegasus heard a faint ringing and he focused harder on the struggling boy. 'Is he…?'

"Lemme go!" Katsuya flailed against his captors. "I'm gonna kill him! I swear it!"

"_Onii-chan_!"

Everyone turned in the direction of the outcry, and Shizuka looked from her brother to the blue-eyed youth he attempted to hurt, recognizing him immediately as the boy from the river. And as she focused on him, Pegasus' rosewood eye locked with Malik's amethyst.

In that instant, a harsh whirlwind filled the smithy, fanning the flames of the hearth and making them rise and burn fiercer than before. And as Atem and the others tried to shield themselves from the wind and fire, the Earth trembled beneath them.

Looking back toward Shizuka and Pegasus, Atem found a strange ripple of light resonating between them and the two young men at the other end of the room, one whom he recognized to be Malik.

- - -

Rafael gasped as white, gold and red lights began moving within the black of the unreflecting mirror. Suddenly, the high-pitched call of the Orichalcos stone that hung around his neck and looked down to find it glowing.

"What _is_ this!"

"Raf!" Valon tore into the room, holding out his hand to show the glowing ring on his finger.

Elsewhere, Amelda gripped his pendant in his hand, and looked across the aerie to the blond woman on her knees as she covered her ears.

"Make it stop…!" She begged. "Shut up!"

- - -

Deep in the sealed pyramid cavern, everything trembled, as if in fear, and Akunadin watched as the red array on the ceiling began to flicker. "Impossible!"

The green light before the dark priest screamed and writhed within itself. /Them! Them, them, them/ It shrieked. /Stay away! No closer/

The red-purple flame growled with a mix of hatred and fear. /So! _They_ have returned/


End file.
